Dr. Gema Ortega Accepted to Leadership Academy from Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities

For immediate release

Dr. Gema Ortega, executive director of academic affairs at Dominican University's Chicago Campus in Pilsen, was recently named to a one-year prestigious fellowship program offered by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU).

Ortega is one of 26 fellows selected for the 2025-26 cohort of HACU's Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo. Over the next year, she will participate in development activities aimed at preparing fellows for leadership roles in institutions of higher learning, particularly Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).

Dominican University has been a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution since 2011. Today, nearly 70% of undergraduate students identify as Hispanic or Latiné.

"Now more than ever, universities need to come together to champion underserved communities in higher education," Ortega said. "Becoming a fellow will give me the opportunity to build coalitions and partnerships with other institutions, learning from them and with them, while representing Dominican University's mission and record of excellence as a long-standing HSI."

Influencing public policy, advocating for a sustainable workforce and fostering global opportunities are embedded in the training that HACU fellows receive.

"This will ultimately lead to lasting, positive outcomes for all Dominican students," Ortega said. "These are areas I am committed to bringing back to Dominican to enhance the university's impact in changing higher education for the communities we serve."

Ortega's fellowship is funded through a scholarship from the Andrew Mellon Foundation.

Since its inception, HACU's Leadership Academy has advanced the careers of leaders within a wide range of higher education institutions, expanding professional opportunities at the highest levels of college and university administrations.

HACU, of which Dominican University is a member, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America and Spain.

At Dominican University's Chicago Campus, Ortega oversees curriculum implementation and development, serving as lead of academics and liaison to River Forest. She also serves as special assistant to the CEO of the Chicago Campus and is an associate professor of English. She joined Dominican University's River Forest campus in 2013 as a lecturer in the English Department.

Now in its second year, Dominican's Chicago Campus, located at 1805 S. Paulina St. in Pilsen, offers students a two-year associate's degree with concentrations in high-demand areas of certified nurse assistant training, cybersecurity, legal studies or translation/interpretation. With their degree, students can begin a career or transition to Dominican University's bachelor's degree program in River Forest.

Workforce development certificates in cybersecurity and the Basic Nurse Assistant Training Program, designed to enhance skills for career success, are also offered.

About Dominican University
Founded in 1901, Dominican University is a comprehensive, coeducational Catholic institution with campuses in River Forest and Chicago. The university offers an associate of arts in liberal arts and sciences; bachelor's and master's degrees through the Rosary College of Arts, Education, and Sciences, the College of Business, Information Studies, and Technology, and the Borra College of Health Sciences; as well as doctoral programs in information studies and applied social justice.

As Chicago's premier Catholic Hispanic-Serving Institution, Dominican is consistently recognized as a leader in academic excellence and value. U.S. News & World Report ranks Dominican University in the top 25 of Midwest regional master's level universities, and #1 in Illinois for Best Value and ensuring the social mobility of its graduates.