Padilla Announces $1 Million to Support Global HSI Equity Innovation Hub at CSUN
Rendering of the Global Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Equity Innovation Hub
On Oct. 21, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced he had secured more than $254 million in federal funding to support Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) in the Senate’s Labor, Health and Human Services appropriations bill, including $1 million specifically for the Global Hispanic Serving Institution Equity Innovation Hub at California State University, Northridge.
The news comes two months after the CSU announced that it will launch the new Global HSI Equity Innovation Hub that will be housed at CSUN. The leadership of Padilla and other state leaders were instrumental in securing funding for the initiative, which aims to equip Latinx and other historically underserved students with skills for high-demand careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The Equity Hub also will work to transform HSIs throughout the CSU and nation in order to increase student success.
The project is the result of a $25 million allocation in the 2021-22 California state budget and a donation from Apple. It was launched thanks to an initial donation by design software giant Autodesk, which is led by President and CEO Andrew Anagnost ’87 (Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science minor).
“I’m proud to see this public-private partnership launch in California, home to more Hispanic Serving Institutions than any state in the nation. And there’s no better location than CSUN — at the center of Southern California’s creative and tech economy,” Padilla said. “As the first Latino to represent California in the U.S. Senate and one of the few Senators with an engineering degree, I know firsthand the importance of increasing diversity in the institutions that shape our society. The Global HSI Equity Innovation Hub is a smart investment that will increase student success and equip Latinx and other diverse student groups with the skills necessary for high-demand careers in STEM.”
In addition to supporting CSUN’s Global HSI Equity Innovation Hub, the federal funding secured by Padilla will support competitive grants to HSIs, as well as programs that will help Latinx students gain entry to and succeed in graduate study.
“Investing in HSIs is a strategic way to enhance America’s competitiveness in the global economy and promote equity in higher education,” Padilla said in a statement announcing the federal funding. “As a proud representative of California, home to the largest Latino population and the most HSIs in the country, I know the value of investing in these higher education institutions. I look forward to continue working to increase funding for HSIs, and ensure that institutions with a track record of success for our students can continue to thrive.”
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