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t’s been two years since doctor Nelson Soto arrived in Old San Juan with the mission of leading Albizu University into the future. In the process, he has also transformed his own life. Dr. Soto arrived in Puerto Rico in September 2022 and never forgets that he moved just as Puerto Rico was facing the threat, impact, and aftermath of Hurricane Fiona. As he did then, he still keeps in mind the vision that guided the founding of the institution he now leads.
“we aim to develop more partnerships”
“Albizu University is an institution where we all strive for the best, and with that in mind, we motivate ourselves. There is nothing more significant for someone like me, born and raised in the United States from Puerto Rican parents, than having the opportunity to come here and contribute to the progress of the island. It is the most valuable gift I have received in my life,” he explained.
When asked about the most significant projects he has pushed forward at the university, he speaks enthusiastically but not complacently about all the plans that have been set in motion. “We must do more. We must go beyond positioning Albizu University as a leading institution in Puerto Rico in the field of mental health. Dr. Carlos Albizu had this wonderful idea for his legacy: to ensure that services were offered from a multicultural perspective, allowing individuals to be who they are and receive the quality treatment they need. With that in mind, we aim to develop more partnerships, like the one we secured with the Dominican Republic. This collaboration marks the first time that Albizu has received funding from another institution in another country to educate its students and citizens. It is a great privilege for us and an excellent way to honor the legacy our founder set in motion. Through this partnership, we have a group of students completing master’s degrees (both online and in person) sponsored by the Dominican government. The country is investing in autism and neuroscience education to ensure that its teachers receive quality training in behavioral sciences.”
“we have a lot to offer”
The president explained that they have diversified efforts to secure funds and formalize other partnerships to serve the population in Puerto Rico. “We are working with entities like the Francisco Carvajal Foundation, which supported the creation of ‘El Vagón’. This is a mobile medical facility located near Casa Albizu. It’s unfortunate to think that we need such a space, but it provides a safe space for medical and psychological evaluations of minors who have been victims of abuse or mistreatment. We have personnel at the center to provide this service, ensuring that children do not have to be exposed to a hospital or law enforcement setting. They are protected from environments that could re-victimize them. We want to replicate and multiply this kind of project both inside and outside of Puerto Rico.”
Precisely to continue promoting his global vision, Dr. Soto was recently appointed as a member of the Council of Presidents of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB). The council assigns leadership roles to its members to leverage their experience, perspectives, and ideas for the development of the institution, designed to strengthen governance in higher education.
Dr. Soto sees this opportunity as another way to foster change and embody Albizu’s philosophy of multicultural education. This comes at a time when the university is, for the first time in several years, seeing an increase in student enrollment, at a juncture when educational institutions on the island are facing the challenges posed by population decline. “We are aware that many families and young people have left Puerto Rico, so we have joined forces with different student scholarship programs and foundations eager to invest in the future of our students. As part of the process, we seek to encourage them to stay on the island. We are also working to attract students from other places. We have a lot to offer to students from the United States and abroad: a place with pleasant weather all year, with lower costs than universities in the continental United States, yet still part of the U.S., with a Latino and bicultural tradition. It’s an opportunity for students to be global citizens and experience the diversity of the Americas. That’s why we actively recruit students for our in-person and online education programs, ensuring that these are properly accredited.”
“we want everyone to understand AI as a tool”
Even with the satisfaction that comes from seeing the university strengthen, the president wants to focus on the challenges that come with that growth. “As we grow, we need more space. We are being creative, even sharing spaces with neighbors in Old San Juan like the School of Plastic Arts, and using classrooms in the Presidency building. But Albizu University is more than that, so we are actively seeking more space to grow and expand,” the president explained.
Dr. Soto also aims to transform the educational vision to integrate an entrepreneurial approach into the preparation of mental health professionals. “We want to support our students once they complete their degrees with business incubators to help them develop their clinics, and for that, we are considering forming partnerships with other entities. We want to continue collaborating with educational institutions or organizations with a similar vision.”
The president’s vision also takes into account technological advances. “We are educating all our faculty members on the knowledge and use of artificial intelligence tools. We want everyone to understand AI as a tool to enrich the educational experience rather than seeing it as the enemy. For that, we need to learn how to use it to be more efficient, so we have more time for human interaction. We are in the process of issuing certifications in the use of AI, and we will do the same with student scholarship programs. We are also formulating an institutional protocol to regulate the use of AI, because we don’t want students, for example, to misunderstand that they can use these tools to design a treatment plan without any analysis. So, we are ensuring that there is an ethical training component and criteria guiding the use of this type of technology.”
From academic degrees, enrollment, operations, and partnerships to physical infrastructure and the challenges of modern technology, the university’s leadership views all fronts from a single perspective. The mission is to guide Albizu’s evolution as a global education institution that responds to the shared needs of an extraordinarily diverse world. “We can do more so that wherever there is a need for mental health assistance, speech therapy, or behavioral studies, wherever there is a soul that needs support for their well-being, Albizu’s flag is there to respond.”
“it is a great privilege”
And while charting the development path for the university in its evolution, Dr. Soto has also discovered a new life in Puerto Rico with his family. “I dedicate part of my time to being a dad and husband, taking my kids to their volleyball practices, and doing volunteer work with my community church. I take care of my parents because it’s part of the role we take on at this stage of their lives. I also enjoy wandering without a set route… I’m trying to carve out time for self-care again, and for that, I occasionally walk through Old San Juan, which to me is a place with a special magic.”
He still has multiple goals to achieve, challenges to overcome, and plans to put in motion, but now they are shaped by the experiences of the last two years, when he moved his entire life to the place his parents talked about since he was a child. The president affirms, with a broad smile on his face, that there isn’t a day he doesn’t feel grateful for the opportunity to serve Puerto Rico through the university. “Every day I wake up thinking about how lucky I am to be able to do something I immensely enjoy. It’s a great privilege that I receive with a lot of humility. And I recognize that I have been given a very valuable opportunity, and that’s why I must make sure I repay it with my best effort every moment of every day that I’m here.”
