South Texas College of Law Houston has named Reynaldo “Rey” Anaya Valencia, dean of the Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio, its next president and dean following a nationwide search.
Valencia will be the first Hispanic and first person of color to lead the 101-year-old Houston law school when he assumes the position in July, according to the school’s Monday announcement.
“I greatly appreciate the mission and values at South Texas Law and the law school’s strong tradition of excellence and community culture,” Valencia said. “My life is a testament to the power and impact of a formal education as the first in my family to go to college and to earn a law degree. I am deeply humbled and honored to be the first Hispanic and the first person of color appointed to this position.”
Valencia, a Harvard Law School graduate, has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in sociology from Stanford University. After law school, Valencia practiced corporate bankruptcy and general corporate law in the Jones Day Dallas office while teaching as an adjunct professor at Texas Tech School of Law.
His other previous roles in academia include associate dean for finance and administration at the University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law and tenured professor at St. Mary’s University School of Law.
Valencia will follow Jeff Rensberger who served as South Texas Law’s interim president and dean following the departure of Michael F. Barry last year, after five years leading the school.
“As we advance into our second century, after an extensive national search and collaborative engagement by the entire South Texas Law community, we are delighted to appoint President and Dean Valencia as the 13th leader of Houston’s oldest law school,” said Board Chair Genora K. Boykins, who co-chaired the search committee.