Victor Sáenz
Associate Dean for Student Success, Community Engagement, and Administration
L. D. Haskew Centennial Professor in Public School Administration
Victor B. Sáenz, Ph.D., serves as associate dean for Student Success, Community Engagement, and Administration and holds the L.D. Haskew Centennial Professorship in Public School Administration at The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Education. A seasoned higher education leader with more than 20 years of experience, Dr. Sáenz previously chaired the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy — his academic home — where he championed efforts to strengthen faculty development, expand graduate programs and elevate the department’s national profile.
In his current role as associate dean, Dr. Sáenz oversees a broad portfolio that includes student success initiatives, career engagement and community partnerships. He also leads the college’s collaboration with three public school districts (UT Elementary School, UT Charter School and UT High School) housed within the College of Education, strengthening connections between PK–12 education and postsecondary pathways to expand educational opportunity.
A nationally recognized expert on student success, mentoring and education policy, Dr. Sáenz co-founded Project MALES (Mentoring to Achieve Latino Educational Success), an award-winning initiative advancing educational outcomes for collegiate male students through research, mentoring and community engagement. His scholarship — including three books and morethan 70 publications — has been cited over 8,000 times and has informed national conversations on college access and success. He has presented his work at the White House, the National Press Club and Capitol Hill, and frequently collaborates with policymakers and educational leaders across the country.
Dr. Sáenz holds faculty affiliations with the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the Center for Mexican American Studies. A two-time Texas Ex, he earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in public affairs from UT Austin before completing his Ph.D. in Higher Education and Organizational Change at UCLA.
He lives in Austin with his wife, Erica, and their son, Victor.
