Adriana Rocha Garcia, PhD
Distinguished Faculty
Main Building, Room 325F
210-528-7039
argarcia2@ollusa.edu
Areas of Expertise
Marketing, public relations, public and government affairs, public policy, local politics, and health communications.
Teaching Philosophy
It is my belief that learning occurs organically.
I believe that to learn, one must be given the chance to put to practice that which they are learning in theory. Through active engagement and participation, students not only collaborate with each other, but in doing so share with one another diversity of knowledge gathered by each through their unique experiences and opportunities.
I strongly believe that it is our duty as educators to build community pride in our daily interactions with students. Through modeling a sense of pride in our community, we acknowledge that there is something greater that binds us together.
It is my mission to help my students be successful and I assess student learning through projects that not only help them identify and understand learning objectives, but how this can all be applied to the real-world practices. My students are prepared to be effective problem-solvers, with the desire to share their knowledge to improve the communities in which they live. It is my belief that I am a facilitator of knowledge that has been gathered throughout their lifetimes and applied in my classes through technical terms and objectives.
I also believe that it is my job to produce ethically responsible future leaders and I integrate ethics into the fabric of every concept. I present my students with ethical situations that allow them to think strategically, but I understand that at the end of the day, and later in life, when nobody is looking over their shoulders, they will make their own choices based on the values they’ve been taught.
Above all, I love and respect my students and I treat them like the wonderful individuals that they are, and I am sensitive to their differences in learning styles, in accordance with their generational learning environment expectations.
Outside Interests
Local politics.
Awards and Honors
Honors
- San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame 2022 Inductee
- 2022 Alex Briseno Gerencia Con Corazon Leadership Award
- 2020 Recipient of the Our Lady of the Lake University 1895 Commemorative Award for Faculty Excellence
- 2020 Women of Excellence Award from the National Foundation of Women Legislators
- 2018 San Antonio Business Journal 40 Under 40
Positions and Appointments
National Committees
- National League of Cities, Chair of the Human Development Committee (2021-Present)
- National League of Cities, Hispanic Elected Local Officials Board member (2021-Present)
- National League of Cities, Vice Chair Women in Municipal Government Board member (2021-Present)
City Council Committees
- San Antonio City Council, Representative for District 4 (2019-Present)
- Chair, Planning and Community Development Committee (2021-Present)
- Economic and Workforce Development Committee (2019-Present)
- Governance (2019-Present)
- Governance - Chair of Council Aide Compensation Ad Hoc Committee (2020- Present)
- Governance - Subcommittee for Planning At-Large Appointments (2021-Present)
- Intergovernmental Relations Council Committee (2019-Present)
- Municipal Utilities Committee (2021-Present)
- Verano Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone #28 (2019-Present)
Mayoral Appointments
- Alamo Area Council of Governments Board of Directors (2019-Present)
- City Council Liaison to the Port Authority of San Antonio (Port San Antonio) Board of Directors (2019-Present)
- Committee of Six (2019-Present)
- Fire and Police Pension Fund (2019-Present)
- San Antonio Housing Trust (2019-Present); President (2021-Present)
- San Antonio Housing Trust Finance Corporation (2019-Present); President (2021-Present)
- San Antonio Housing Trust Foundation (2019-Present); President (2021-Present)
- San Antonio Housing Trust Public Facility Corporation Board of Directors (2019-Present); President (2021-Present)
- San Antonio Ready to Work Advisory Board City Council Liaison (2020-Present)
- San Antonio Sports Foundation Board of Directors (2019-Present)
- Visit San Antonio Board of Directors (2021-Present)
Education
- PhD - Advertising, University of Texas at Austin
- Master of Arts - Communication Arts, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio
- Bachelor of Arts - Communications Arts (Journalism; minor in Spanish), University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio