The University of California, Riverside has been recognized by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics as a Bright Spot in Hispanic education. The announcement was made Sept. 15, 2015 at the launch of Hispanic Heritage Month and in honor of the Initiative's 25th anniversary in Washington, D.C. As a Bright Spot, UCR is part of a national online catalog that includes over 230 programs that invest in key education priorities for Hispanics.
To elevate their work, including promising practices of these Bright Spots and learn from their experience, the Initiative is hosting a series of public engagements, via Google+ Hangout over the coming year. UCR was featured in the Google+ Hangout focusing on Post-Secondary Completion. The Google+ Hangout was broadcast live on January 20, 2016 and included (from left to right): Christine Victorino, Richard Cardullo, Michael McKibben, Maria Franco-Aguilar, Jose Beruvides, Maria Franco-Aguilar, Gabriela Canalizo, Steven Brint, and Joey Mavity. During the Hangout, UCR was recognized for achieving parity in graduation rates among Hispanic and non-Hispanic students (scroll video to 43:30).