LETICIA DIAZ

DEAN, BARRY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, ORLANDO

With approximately 80 faculty and staff, the Barry University School of Law is pivotal in advancing legal education and civic engagement in Central Florida. Diaz has led the law school since 2007. As the first Cuban-American female dean of an ABA-accredited law school, she has been a trailblazer in promoting access to legal education for all.

EDUCATION: Bloomfield College (BS), Rutgers University (MS, Ph.D., JD)

FIRST JOB: While in high school, I worked as a page at the local public library. With a mother who was a professional librarian, I grew up surrounded by books and ideas.

DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER: Had I not pursued law, I would have continued my path in scientific research, contributing to advancements in pharmaceutical development and public health.

MENTEE IMPACT: I have mentored many, but two of my dearest mentees are my children. Albert Maradona Behzadi is a successful attorney, and Emily Behzadi Cárdenas is a legal scholar now serving as a professor of law in California.

SOMETHING SURPRISING: Few know that before entering the legal field, I earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Hoffman-La Roche Pharmaceuticals in Nutley, N.J. There, I worked on the synthesis of anti-HIV drugs, contributing to early research aimed at addressing the global AIDS crisis.