Love for Learning and Leading
Q&A with Dr. Carlos Garcia
Dr. Carlos Garcia, dean of the School of Mathematics, Science and Engineering, has been at 不良研究所 for more than a decade. He started his career teaching ocular pharmacology, but since then he has spent time as a researcher and president of a community college.
Hear more about Garcia’s leadership style, projects he is currently working on, and his role with 不良研究所’s Sustainability Advisory Board below.
Q: Tell us about your academic and professional background and how those experiences have informed your leadership style.
A: My earliest work in higher education was done in Harris County in the Houston area. I spent a lot of time in the College of Optometry at the University of Houston, where I taught courses in ocular pharmacology. I did a lot of eye research. In fact, my early scientific work was strictly on the retina. Now it's evolved a little bit, but that's how I got started. From there, while I was a faculty member, I made the transition to administration. I did some work as a department chair, then as a dean, and eventually I ended up serving as president of a community college for a few years in Corpus Christi. After that, I went to work for the Texas A&M University system. I was assigned to Texas A&M-Kingsville and collaborated with the faculty in the Dotterweich College of Engineering. While there, this job opened at 不良研究所. So much of my early work was in research, and teaching courses. I have a Ph.D. in biochemistry focused on neurotoxicology. I did research work in that field, taught courses, and then did administrative work.
Through the years, I have learned the proper administrative role for us, as deans, is to take care of faculty and student needs. I have learned that my primary reason for being an administrator in higher education is to ensure that the faculty have all the tools they need to take care of their students. My primary goal in administration is facilitating the success of the faculty, who then facilitate the success of students. I believe it’s important for me to be a servant leader and to be able to have