CDU Celebrates Retirement of COSH Dean Dr. Hector Balcazar
CDU staff and faculty celebrated the retirement of Dr. Hector Balcazar, Dean of CDU’s College of Science and Health, at a special December event held in the COBB Lounge. The gathering included a ceremony awarding Dr. Balcazar a plaque that commemorated his service to the University along with many people sharing accolades and personal stories about the Dean.
Dr. Balcazar joined CDU in April 2016 as Dean. Before his appointment, Dr. Balcazar was the Regional Dean of Public Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health, El Paso Regional Campus. He was also a tenured professor of health promotion and behavioral sciences.
Prior to joining UT, he was a tenured professor and Chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health at University of North Texas Health Science Center and a tenured Associate Professor at Arizona State University. He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. degree in International Nutrition from Cornell University, and a B.S. degree in Nutrition and Food Science from Iberoamericana University in Mexico City.
Balcazar has announced that he will use his retirement to return to Mexico to become a gardener. “I’m going to be retiring to Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Mexico,” said Balcazar. “I have always wanted to develop a little place where we can build trees and fruits and do a little landscaping. I enjoy solitude, I enjoy being there and listening to the birds – and that’s going to be my life.”
Dr. Sheba George, Associate Professor at the College of Medicine, was one of the speakers who shared her farewell to Dr. Balcazar. “I’ve seen you be consistently loving and kind in your responses and actions,” Dr. George said. “I’ve been lucky enough to observe and learn from you, as you modeled how to live up to the signature at the end of your email that reads ‘Paradise is a state of mind of the loving kind.’”
“I am so very grateful,” said Balcazar. “Sometimes words cannot explain, but this is a precious place and I have been very delighted to be part of this journey here at CDU.”