Joining the SF State faculty in 1987, Monteiro became chair of the Psychology Department in 1994. The San Francisco resident was appointed university dean of human relations in 1998. During his tenure in this position, Monteiro established the Office of Human Relations and developed models to integrate affirmative action and diversity goals into the mission, planning and strategic objectives of the University. He also served as a member of the Provost's Academic Affairs and Student Affairs councils.

"In his nearly two decades on campus, Ken Monteiro has won the respect of all and the friendship of many," President Robert A. Corrigan said. "He has repeatedly demonstrated both academic and moral leadership. He has the stature, the skills, and the intellectual heft to help lead the College of Ethnic Studies to even greater fulfillment of its important mission."

Monteiro, a graduate of Dartmouth College and Stanford University, is a cognitive psychologist with applied research and training expertise in mental health and education. He is an authority on literacy and scholastic achievement. He is a contributor and the editor of the book "Ethnicity and Psychology: African-, Asian-, Latino- and Native-American Psychologies." His other publications include analytic studies of African Americans and reading, African American gay youth, and issues of race and gender.

Both of Monteiro's maternal and paternal grandparents immigrated to the United States in the early 20th century from the Cape Verde Islands, an archipelago off the coast of Senegal in northwestern Africa. Monteiro grew up and attended public schools in Onset, Mass., near New Bedford.

"Growing up in the first generation of my family to go to college, my only professional goal back then was to graduate from high school and go to college. I had no idea what came next," Monteiro said. "Sometime in my sophomore year at Dartmouth I began to think that I had better have another, bigger goal than just that." Prior and during the pursuit of his doctorate in human experimental psychology at Stanford University, Monteiro was a counselor and intake coordinator for community mental health programs. During his years as a professor of cognitive psychology at SF State, he also served as a consultant to and counselor at the Adult Day Treatment and the Multicultural Initiative for Research on AIDS units of the Bayview-Hunters Point Foundation, as well as a research consultant to the University of California ,San Francisco's Center for AIDS Prevention Services.

Monteiro is excited about the work of his colleagues in the College of Ethnic Studies. More than 10 books have been published by college professors and instructors over the past two or three years. One of these publications, Lecturere Matthew Shenoda's first collection of poetry "somewhere else," just won an American Book Award.

"This perfectly illustrates the extraordinary talent and hard work coming out of this college," Monteiro said. "Our faculty are fresh, new voices. Dusty, old ideas don't make it in their classrooms. Their work connects directly to the news of the day."

-- Denize Springer