Diego James Navarro Email & Phone Number

Santa Cruz, California

Founder, Academy for College Excellence (ACE), formerly the Digital Bridge Academy (DBA). 2022 Prof Dev Trainings with: Saddleback College, Walters State Community College (Tennessee), Santa Barbara City College, Oxnard Community College (Student Equity), Modesto College2021 Prof Dev Trainings with: Santa Ana College (Student Equity & Guided Pathways), Dallas College, Porterville College, Gavilan College, Hartnell College, Tennessee Board of Regents, California Guided Pathways 2.0, Grossmont College, WGU's Health Professions College2020 - Prof Dev Trainings with: Tennessee Board of Regents, Guttman College CUNY, American Association of Community College Pathways Program, Gavilan College, WGU Labs, National Center for Inquiry and Improvement2019 - work with: Stanford Research Institute, California Guided Pathways 1.0, Research & Planning Group for the California Community Colleges, Guttman College CUNY, WGU Labs

We've been working 1.5 years on a 4 year jobs initiative with 5 HBCUs, 4 Public HSI Universities and 11 Community Colleges to support students of color in their quest to change the economic trajectory of their families. We are helping colleges to prepare themselves for students of color in their high-wage and high-demand career programs. This work includes creating belonging and psychological safety in their programs and interactions with students. In addition, developing the supports including student financial sustainability that will allow the students to complete the programs. Also, developing employer engagement strategies to help students find employment in these professional careers.

Retired after over 16 years of teaching at Cabrillo College and developing the Academy for College Excellence.

Aptos, California

Developed a new department at the college in Fall 2005 that in one semester prepares young adults for full-time college success. The courses focus on the affective and non-cognitive as precursors to academic performance. The academic and affective curriculum are taken in parallel by students. Several longitudinal studies of effectiveness have been produced including by Columbia University Community College Research Center, University of California, and Norena Badway's HEERG group.

Stanford, Ca

Appointment as Visiting Scholar at Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching at Stanford.

Santa Cruz, Ca

Serve as Visiting Scholar at Oakes College at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Designed an on-line course based on the ACE affective/non-cognitive Foundation Course for Western Governors University (WGU). The course has had over 60,000 students in the Health Professions College.

Atenas, Costa Rica

Consultant responsible for incubating new businesses in developing countries for HP’s World e-Inclusion group. Developed the business plan and product specifications for a handheld computer system to support traceability and certification of farmers in developing countries. This project was nominated by HP for the San Jose Tech Museum’s 2001 Innovation Award for Technology Benefiting Humanity. In this project I utilized methods and techniques I first used in 1979 to study the use of appropriate technology in 3rd world development in a Tarascan Indian Village, San Angel Zurumucapio, in Michoacan, Mexico as part of a six month study abroad program of World College West.

Scotts Valley, California

Hired to transition the company from performing testing and engineering contracts to shipping products. Formulated Zayante’s business model and management strategies. Negotiated major contracts with HP, Lucent, Matsushita, Mitsubishi, Motorola, NEC, Philips, Texas Instruments, and Sony. Raised funding from venture capitalists and also strategic investments from Philips, Seagate and Intel.

San Francisco Bay Area

Managed STL’s involvement in the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) program with the Mayo Clinic and HP’s Medical Products Group. Negotiated for and obtained program resources, designed roles and responsibilities of key players, instituted schedule, change management, and issue management, and oversaw the development of build management, defect tracking and testing processes.

San Francisco Bay Area

Led three project teams, one focused on the development of technologies for building applications from software components, another on the development of methodologies for transitioning traditional software development teams to object oriented software reuse, and a third on the design of a Team Server for the support of task-focused/self-managing teams. Initiated and directed a software engineering pilot in HP’s Medical Systems Division in the technology validation process. Developed an information analysis method to redesign support systems used in two HP Division’s move to self-managing work teams.

San Francisco Bay Area

Analyzed customer needs and requirements and produced prioritized recommendations for HP executives.

Mba

Activities and Societies: Co-founder of the HBS Ethics Club, Member of the Corporate Leadership ClubPerformed research with Rosabeth Moss.

Bachelors Of Arts, Computer Systems And Business Administration

Education record

Human Ecology

Lived with a family in a Tarascan Indigenous village, San Angel Zurumucapio, for 2 months 7,000' in the mountains of Michoacan, Mexico.