Hernan Maldonado, director of the Pathways: Student Services Program in the Lyles College of Engineering at Fresno State, is one of seven recipients of the inaugural Trustee Wenda Fong and Mr. Daniel Fetterly Staff Awards.
The award, made possible by a gift from long-serving California State University Board of Trustees member and former board chair Wenda Fong and her husband, Daniel Fetterly, is the first CSU systemwide staff recognition program. Fong and Fetterly created the award to acknowledge the essential role staff play to advance the CSU’s mission and to strengthen the system’s commitment to access, equity and student achievement.
Maldonado, who has worked at the Lyles College for 28 years, received the Fostering an Inclusive and Equitable Learning Environment Award which recognizes an individual who has dedicated themselves to student success while promoting equity and inclusion within the university community.
The winners were selected from 120 nominations from across the system and chosen by a committee that included a member of the Board of Trustees and several leaders from the Chancellor’s Office. Each individual recipient receives a $25,000 award. The team award of $25,000 is shared among its members. Honorees were recognized on May 5, at a regularly scheduled meeting of the CSU Board of Trustees.
“When I started college, I began as a pre-med major. However, I soon realized that education also heals and transforms lives. I knew I wanted to dedicate myself to supporting low-income, first-generation and socioeconomically diverse students by helping them access higher education and by providing the support they need to succeed in earning their degrees. The Lyles College of Engineering at Fresno State has allowed me to fulfill my goals. I can’t really put into words how much this award means to me. It’s like a recognition of my lifetime work.”
Hernan Maldonado
Maldonado, the son of immigrant farmworkers and the first in his family to attend and graduate from college, was born and raised in the Sacramento Valley. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Latin American history, with an emphasis on U.S. and Mexico relations, and a minor in Chicano studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s in public administration from Fresno State.
He became the inaugural director of the Pathways: Student Services Program in 2007 and built the program from the ground up as a one-stop student resource center that offers academic coaching, tutoring services, academic excellence workshops, leadership development, industry exposure and professional development opportunities to more than 2,000 students in the Lyles College.
Under Maldonado’s tenure, Pathways developed a first-year engineering experience program, mentoring program and summer enrichment workshops designed to support student success at a four-year university and ease the transition from high school or community college to the university.
Maldonado is an advocate for historically underrepresented students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. He directs the MESA University Program, which provides academic support and resources to increase the number of historically underrepresented graduates from undergraduate engineering programs.
He also builds community through his many leadership roles. Maldonado organizes large college events such as the annual Welcome Back BBQ, the Industry Expo that engages more than 800 students and 90 industry partners each year, and Projects Day showcasing more than 100 senior design and research projects. And he designs and leads the college’s summer engineering camps for K-12 students which introduces students to engineering in an inclusive, supportive environment at an early age.
Maldonado has received numerous honors for his service and leadership. In 2023, he received the Fresno State Student Success Award, which recognizes staff members who go above and beyond to support student achievement. He was honored with the Region 1 Advisor of the Year Award from the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers in 2019 and Fresno State’s Outstanding Advisor Award in 2008. He was a 2017 E. Kika De La Garza Fellow, strengthening educational partnerships with Hispanic-Serving Institutions by collaborating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“Hernan Maldonado’s contributions to the Lyles College of Engineering reflect a rare combination of sustained leadership, institutional impact and genuine commitment to student equity and success,” said Dr. Ram Nunna, dean of the Lyles College. “His impact is defined not by a single program or moment, but by nearly three decades of steady, student-centered leadership. He has built and sustained systems of support that help all students persist, succeed and feel that they belong in the programs offered in the Lyles College of Engineering. His work has shaped how the college supports students, fosters belonging and promotes academic success.”
