About Lori
Senior higher education leader advancing equity and social mobility for first-generation, Hispanic, student veterans and underrepresented students through innovative partnerships and culturally responsive programs.
Dr. Lori Marie Huertas, EdD, is Assistant Director of Industry Partnerships at Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver), an HSI, where she leads the C2Hub initiative connecting first-generation students, faculty, and employers through mentorship, experiential learning, and equity-focused programming.
With over a decade in higher education leadership, Dr. Huertas advances access for urban, refugee, and Hispanic students. She directs operations, including candidate advising, curriculum coordination, budget management, and cross-functional teams. Previously, she served as Regional Recruitment Manager at Barry University (2020–2022) and Director of Student Success at Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico (2017–2019), boosting outcomes via data-driven strategies.
Dr. Huertas excels in Title V grant management, culturally responsive pedagogy, and industry partnerships. She launched multi-cohort mentorship programs for 200+ students, coordinated the Workplace Equity Summit, and earned awards such as the 2024 Lena Archuleta City of Denver Latino Award and the MSU Denver Bravo Award. Her publications include research on STEM critical thinking for Hispanic women. Holding an EdD in Higher Education Leadership from Barry University (2025) and an MA in Counseling Psychology, she delivers psychology courses emphasizing workforce readiness. She is the author of a bilingual children’s book and a book titled “Improving Critical Thinking Skills for First-Generation Female Hispanic Students in STEM”. She was also published in https://www.highereducationdigest.com/beyond-the-classroom-why-career-readiness-must-start-with-belonging/ and leads a podcast entitled “First Gen Lounge”.
Currently as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at GlobalMindED, she resides in Denver, Colorado, where she expands equity programs nationally. Passionate about HSI servingness, social mobility, and Latinx success, Dr. Huertas volunteers for leadership development and enjoys presenting at conferences on transformational leadership.