José Jaime Rivera, who is the formal president of the University of the Sacred Heart from 1992 to 2014. Throughout his more than forty two years of experience, he has occupied key administrative leadership positions in Puerto Rico and United States. He has also served as evaluator for accreditation and consultant in academic development, institutional assessment, strategic planning, and accreditation for universities in Puerto Rico, United States, Mexico, Argentina, Switzerland, Spain, and Dominican Republic.
Dr. Rivera is active in community and professional organizations. In December 2009, he was re-elected to the commission on higher education of the middle states association of colleges and school. He was the HETS treasurer of the Board of Directors, member of the Board of Directors of the historical foundation of the Puerto Rico Supreme Court, and of the college entrance examination board’s advisory group, among other organizations. He has received numerous awards and recognition, including the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities [HACU] President’s Award of Excellence, and the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education [AAHHE] distinguished leadership award, among others. Dr. Rivera is a member of professional associations in the fields of economics and higher education, member of the Puerto Rico Academy of the Spanish Language, and a correspondent member of the “Real Academia de la Lengua Española”. Dr. Rivera holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Puerto Rico (magna cum laude-1967); a M.A. in Higher Education Administration from New York University (summa cum laude-1972); and a Doctorate in Philosophy in Organizational and Administrative Studies from New York University (summa cum laude-1981).