Herrera, Jose
Jose Herrera
Dr. Herrera is a microbiologist, professor, and administrator. He has decades of experience in academic and scientific leadership roles. He has held positions with Mercy College, the National Science Foundation, and Western New Mexico University. Dr. Jose Herrera is the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Northern Iowa. In this role, he oversees the academic and organizational functions of the campus and the advancement of high-quality teaching and learning, scholarship, and service.
“Diversify your approach to finding good people, irrespective of their ideological perspectives. Many of the best mentoring relationships span gaps that would seem insurmountable.” - Dr. Joseé Herrera, 2023
Rudgers, J.A., Fox, S., Porras‐Alfaro, A., Herrera, J., Reazin, C., Kent, D.R., Souza, L., Chung, Y.A. and Jumpponen, A., 2022. Biogeography of root‐associated fungi in foundation grasses of North American plains. Journal of Biogeography, 49(1), pp.22-37.
Lagueux, D., Jumpponen, A., Porras‐Alfaro, A., Herrera, J., Chung, Y.A., Baur, L.E., Smith, M.D., Knapp, A.K., Collins, S.L. and Rudgers, J.A., 2021. Experimental drought re‐ordered assemblages of root‐associated fungi across North American grasslands. Journal of Ecology, 109(2), pp.776-792.
Hutchinson, M.I., Powell, A.J., Herrera, J. and Natvig, D.O., 2019. New perspectives on the distribution and roles of thermophilic fungi. Fungi in extreme environments: ecological role and biotechnological significance, pp.59-80.
Jumpponen, A., Herrera, J., Porras-Alfaro, A. and Rudgers, J., 2017. Biogeography of root-associated fungal endophytes. Biogeography of mycorrhizal symbiosis, pp.195-222.
Bokati, D., Herrera, J. and Poudel, R., 2016. Soil influences colonization of root-associated fungal endophyte communities of maize, wheat, and their progenitors. Journal of Mycology, 2016.
Jose Herrera grew up in the Southwest side of Chicago. He attended Whitney Young High School in Chicago Public Schools and did not have many opportunities to interact with the natural world, but this did not stop him from graduating high school early at 15. After graduating high school, Dr. Herrera started school at Northern Illinois University, where he had his first opportunity to engage in the natural world and sciences. He was involved in undergraduate research at Northern Illinois University, and the experience ignited a passion for the natural sciences. His confidence grew, and his curiosity had the space to blossom. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences with a minor in chemistry in 1988. He stayed at Northern Illinois University and earned a master’s in biology in 1991. He then received his Ph.D. in microbiology from Kansas State University in 1996.
Dr. Herrera began his higher education career as a biology professor. He began his teaching career at Truman State University in 1996. From 2009 to 2011, Dr. Herrera was also the department chair at Truman State University.
From 2011 to 2013, Dr. Hererra was the Division of Undergraduate Education program director at the National Science Foundation (NSF). In this position, Herrera oversaw a diverse portfolio of innovative scientific programs to develop scientific and educational capital at various institutions across the United States.
In 2013, Dr. Herrera joined Western New Mexico University as the Founding Dean of Arts and Sciences. While at Western New Mexico University, he also served as the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. From 2017 to 2021, Dr. Herrera was the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, New York.
In 2017, Dr. Herrera was elected chair of the 2019 Gordon Research Conference on Undergraduate Biology Education Research in Lewistown, ME.
Dr. Herrera became the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Northern Iowa in June 2021. In this role, he oversees the academic and organizational functions of the campus and the advancement of high-quality teaching and learning, scholarship, and service. He oversees academic programs and leadership for faculty recruitment, development, and retention.
Throughout his career, Dr. Herrera has held increasingly complex leadership roles at institutions where he has successfully served students, faculty, and staff in an ever-changing educational landscape. He has collaborated with many undergraduate students, publishing several scientific articles characterizing the microbial community structure and function of root-associated fungal endophytes. He has served as a principal investigator on several NSF-funded research and educational projects and as a Program Director of a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Inclusive Excellence award.
Dr. Hererra is an author and lecturer of environmental science. He researches and lectures on “the challenges and opportunities of first-generation college students and minority-serving institutions” (Sitter, 2021). He is a lifetime member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). Dr. Herrera is the current Handling Editor of BioScience and the former Senior Editor of Life Science Education.
Dr. Herrera reflects on his career that “I have a difficult time identifying career highlights as they change depending on my perspective. I will say that it has been a long and blessed trip to get this far. For a city boy growing up playing in the alleys of Chicago, it has been a wonderful opportunity for me to be given the chance to learn, be curious, and be diligent. I’ve now been Provost at two institutions (one private and one public), and I can see retirement through the horizon of achievement. As Jerry Garcia would often say, “What a strange trip it has been.”
Dr. Herrera is married to his wife, Becky, and they have three children.
While working at the NSF, Dr. Herrera interacted with many strong, intelligent, and caring women. It was the first time in his career that he had the privilege of being mentored by women. His mentors at NSF included Dr. Terry Woodin, Dr. Celeste Carter, Dr. Mary Lee Ledbetter, Dr. Marilyn Suiter, and Lee Zia (among others). He considers himself the better person for it and appreciates them all.
Dr. Herrera has not done significant formal mentoring but says, “So much of mentoring is left unwritten, and the likelihood that mentoring works relies on the individual personality traits that match (or not) participants. Diversify your approach to finding good people, irrespective of their ideological perspectives. Many of the best mentoring relationships span gaps that would seem insurmountable.”
“There is no substitute for hard work and exploration (be curious). Our understanding of wisdom and success has developed substantially over the last 30 years. Our willingness to motivate ourselves, get along with others, and put in the work. Although your likelihood of your work being noticed and supported is still dependent on a biased landscape, understand the landscape and anticipate its hills and valleys.”
About Dr. José Herrera. N.d. Grant Liaison. Project Vision. https://projectvis.org/jose-herrera/
José Herrera. n.d. Home [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-herrera-7b8567b/]. LinkedIn. Retrieved July 10, 2023 from https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-herrera-7b8567b/.
Sitter, Phillip. 2021, May 26. University of Northern Iowa names next provost, executive vice president for academic affairs. Retrieved July 10, 2023 from https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/education/2021/05/26/univer….
University of Northern Iowa. 2023. José Herrera, Ph.D. Retrieved July 10, 2023 from https://provost.uni.edu/directory/jose-herrera-phd.