Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Alaniz Salas.
Hi Heather, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My name is Heather Alaniz and being a citizen of the United States, I pride myself in representing my ethnic identity. Though, my family is from Spain and Mexico, an area that has experienced rich cultural fusion by the United States. My upbringing rooted in this ethnic background contributes to my curiosity regarding intersections of societies, group identity, and the aspiration to attend college.
As the first grandchild in my family to attend college, I earned my B.S. and M.S. in Criminology from the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL). Then, I went on to complete my Ph.D. in Administration of Justice at Texas Southern University (TSU). Also, I was the first Hispanic female in history to earn a Doctoral degree in my program from (TSU).
For me, this holds a major significance and represents the driving force in my life, where I continually enjoy mentoring and teaching other individuals like myself within the community.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Through my educational journey, I gained exposure to the background and lived narratives of multi-cultural individuals. Even more, this ignited a curiosity for me to want to understand and learn more about the intersection of ethnicity and its correlation to law and social justice reform. Growing up in Houston, Texas; I developed an appreciation for interacting with other individuals from diverse backgrounds.
I truly feel that combining a wide breadth of cultural perspectives in my research and teaching process provides a more comprehensive understanding of the social phenomena I have studied in criminal justice.
These experiences have also shaped my interest in my current career path as a university Professor.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a Professor of Practice with Sam Houston State University in the College of Criminal Justice, I specialize in legal, policing, immigration, and social justice reform research here in Houston, Texas. I truly believe one of my unique characteristics is that I have never been afraid of independently approaching organizations that I would like to perform research with. For instance, I can recall one time I was watching a national news report on body cameras which stated all police agencies should adopt these cameras. So, I decided to formally reach out to the Chief of Police at the time via a phone call to his office and four weeks later, I was invited into the department to work alongside officers on this very same topic.
What sets me apart from others is my kindness and collegiality. My motto is that there are numerous awards for all individuals, and we should embrace as well as celebrate everyone’s successes. The greatest well-known people who originated changes historically did not do it alone. Guess what? They had a team behind them to transpire these changes.
No one person can change anything overnight, and it is with collaboration that many successes are even feasible. Therefore, life is not a competition but rather a journey.
For me, this is what I am most proud of in my life, is my vision to embrace equality and appreciate all people.
When I am not performing research or teaching, I am continually active in my community advocating for change among all groups, as this is the only way to ensure individuals can congregate all together equally in one society and create global peace.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I am more comfortable speaking in front of larger groups than small ones. I have come to find, in larger groups, as a speaker there is less time to answer numerous questions.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherAAlaniz1
