Sherman, Texas -- Sylvia Acevedo, recipient of the 2023 Austin College Posey Leadership Award, will speak at the ACPLA Convocation on April 13, at 11:00 a.m. in the Clifford J. Grum Sanctuary of Wynne Chapel at Austin College. The event is free and open to the public.
The Austin College Posey Leadership Award honors an outstanding individual who has demonstrated the principles of servant leadership by taking a courageous stand on a public policy issue that advances a humanitarian or educational purpose; or serving the youth of a state, nation, or international community to improve the quality of health, educational, or community services; or by creating opportunities for young people that help them enhance their educational experience and move to a new level of service to society.
Acevedo is a former NASA engineer and has held executive leadership roles in the field of technology in the U.S. and global markets at tech giants such as Apple, Dell, Autodesk, and IBM. In 2010, she was appointed by President Barack Obama as chair of the White House Initiative for Educational Excellence for Hispanics in Early Childhood.
Most recently, Acevedo served as a board member and chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of the USA. A former Girl Scout herself, she facilitated the largest badge rollout in the organization’s history, introducing more than 100 new programs in technology, engineering, and robotics, among others. She is a founding member of the Ann Richards School for Young Women leaders in Austin, Texas and author of Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist.
Acevedo earned her bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from New Mexico State University and a master’s degree in systems engineering from Stanford University – and was one of the first Hispanic students, male or female, to do so.
Over the 2022-2023 academic year, Acevedo has met with the Austin College community virtually to share her expertise on a variety of topics, including careers in engineering, women in STEM, servant leadership, and the power of the nonprofit.
The Austin College Leadership Award was launched in 2005 and its first honoree was named in 2006. Made possible through the generosity of Sally and Lee Posey of Dallas, the award name was amended upon Lee’s death in 2008 to add Posey to the title.
In 2021, the College’s Posey Leadership Award was re-launched as the Austin College Posey Leader-In-Residence Series to allow continued and deeper student engagement with the honored leader.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, pre-professional foundations, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 50 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,300 students and an expert faculty of more than 100 educators allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. Related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Austin College cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. The College, founded in 1849, is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.