Marla Franco
Marla Franco serves as the inaugural vice president of Hispanic Serving Institution initiatives at the University of Arizona.
A first-generation college graduate, Franco has worked in higher education for nearly 25 years at public universities in California and Arizona. She has served in various roles in academic and student affairs, focusing on greater college access and degree attainment among underserved and marginalized students. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, a master’s degree in counseling from California State University, Long Beach, and a doctoral degree in higher education leadership from Azusa Pacific University.
In 2018, Franco led efforts that resulted in the University of Arizona becoming the first four-year public university in the state of Arizona to be federally recognized as a Hispanic Serving Institution. Previously, in 2017, she co-led initiatives that culminated in UArizona becoming the first recipient of the National Science Foundation’s HSI conference grant, which brought together over 100 thought leaders from five states across the Southwest to transform STEM education at HSIs. Franco also has co-authored publications that focus on improved practices at HSIs, including assessments of the readiness of institutions to serve Latinx students, with a focus on improving STEM education.
In 2021, Franco founded the Arizona HSI Consortium, a community of practice across the 21 HSIs in the state. The Helios Education Foundation and National Science Foundation awarded the organization $4 million in 2023 to expand its work.
Her dedication to higher education has earned her numerous recognitions, including, but not limited to, the John Hernandez Leadership Award from the American College Personnel Association and the Edith Auslander Outstanding Support of Hispanic Issues in Higher Education Award from the Pete C. Garcia Victoria Foundation. Her leadership also earned UArizona the 2019 inaugural Seal of Excelencia, which recognizes institutions demonstrating intentional impact in three core areas of Latino student success: data, practice and leadership.
Franco is an avid supporter of the UA Hispanic Alumni Club, a proud mom to two teenagers and an integral part of the UArizona community who leads strategically, courageously and passionately.