News release Public Information Office   SLU 10880   Hammond, LA 70402   phone: 985-549-2341   fax: 985-549-2061 publicinfo@selu.edu     www.selu.edu/news Contact: Christina Chapple Date: 3/13/03   Click on image for publication quality photo BARAYA NAMED ONE OF LOUISIANA’S TOP HISPANIC CITIZENS       HAMMOND – Aristides Baraya, director of the Center for Latin American Business and Development at Southeastern Louisiana University, has been named one of Louisiana’s top 100 successful Hispanic citizens by Vocero News of New Orleans, the largest Hispanic-English bilingual newspaper in the region.       The designation is intended to recognize the work of area Hispanic leaders in fields such as arts, sciences, business, media and education.       A native of Colombia, Baraya has played a key role in helping to expand international initiatives at Southeastern. He has helped coordinate visits to the university by a number of international dignitaries, scholars, and artists as well as several programs for Latin American civic and business leaders. He also spearheaded Southeastern’s Latin American Youth Symposium, held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Inter-American Development Bank in New Orleans in 2000.       An instructor in international business at Southeastern, Baraya has been instrumental in helping the university develop cooperative agreements with the Inter-American Development Bank, the Organization of American States, the State of Cundinamarca (Colombia) and the University of Cundinamarca, as well as agreements with governmental agencies and civic organizations in Costa Rica, Panama and Honduras. Most recently, he helped coordinate a seven-week program in English as a Second Language for 36 Latin American professionals.       Last year, Baraya was honored by Southeastern when he received the President’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service.        Vocero News is a weekly newspaper serving the area’s Hispanic community. It is published in Kenner. Return to News Releases