PHOENIX, Dec. 3, 2020 -- The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) and GateWay Community College are pleased to announce Dr. Amy Diaz as the new Interim President of GateWay. Dr. Diaz will replace Interim President Dr. Maria Wise, who suspended her retirement to fill the role after previous GateWay president Dr. Steven R. Gonzales was selected to serve as Interim Chancellor for the District in January 2020.
With 25-plus years of higher education experience, Dr. Diaz has held a few positions since joining Maricopa in 2016, including her most recent role as Vice President of Academic Affairs at GateWay. She has provided leadership and support to over 160 credit and clock hour programs taught by more than 250 residential and adjunct faculty and instructors. Dr. Diaz also has served as the college’s acting Dean of Professional & Technical Education, as well as the Dean of Liberal Arts & Learning Support.
Before moving to Arizona, Dr. Diaz worked for 22 years at Rock Valley College in Illinois, serving as the Director of Counseling before becoming the Chief Student Affairs Officer of the college, holding titles of AVP, Dean of Students, and Vice President of Student Development. Throughout her career, Dr. Diaz has taught as an adjunct in education, educational psychology, mathematics, and student development at the community college and two university settings, both in undergraduate and graduate programs.
Dr. Diaz holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Psychology and a master’s degree in counseling for higher education and student development from Northern Illinois University. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary math education from the University of Iowa.
Dr. Diaz has a broad scope of experience in course and program assessment, evaluation for re-accreditation, strategic enrollment management, early alert, retention practices, academic support, and behavioral intervention team processes. In addition, Dr. Diaz has served as a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission.
Dr. Diaz will assume the role of interim president on January 1, 2021.
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Media Contact:
Dasi Danzig, 480-268-6766, dasi.danzig@domail.maricopa.edu
About Maricopa Community Colleges
The Maricopa County Community College District includes ten regionally-accredited colleges – Chandler-Gilbert, Estrella Mountain, GateWay, Glendale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Rio Salado, Scottsdale, and South Mountain – and the Maricopa Corporate College, serving approximately 100,000 students with two-year degrees, certificates, and university transfer programs.