By Kate Augusto

The arrival of a new member to the Northeastern community Jan. 29 is fostering hopes for a more prominent Latino/a Student Cultural Center (LSCC). Rosa Rodriguez Williams became the new director of the LSCC last month after the sudden exit of the previous director.

Williams was hired shortly before winter break. She had been among the final candidates in the search for a new director. The originally appointed director, Jose Amaya, left after three weeks and the LSCC went almost a year without leadership before Amaya came in.

Vice President for Student Affairs Ed Klotzbier said Amaya left for personal reasons unrelated to Northeastern. While there is no apparent connection between Amaya’s sudden change of heart and the school, his departure raises questions about Northeastern’s struggle to retain minority faculty.

“One thing the university is keen on is recruiting faculty from under- represented groups, including Latino and Latina faculty members.” Provost Ahmed Abdelal said. “The negative side is that not everyone we succeed in recruiting stays with us.”

Abdelal said as a Boston school, Northeastern must compete with surrounding schools for minority and distinguished faculty. The university is active in recruiting minority staff and faculty by giving specific departments funds if they have a faculty spot open and want to fill it with a distinguished minority candidate.

“You have to keep in mind that we tell stories of people who left us, but we need to recognize that we have a significant number of success stories,” Abdelal said.

Many see Williams’ appointments a success said.

“We wanted someone who is very social as far as being able to build relationships, has some experience with marketing and fund-raising and is energetic,” said Luisa Pe