The University of Pennsylvania’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships recently honored Eduardo Padrón, president of Miami Dade College, with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

“I am so honored to be recognized with this distinction,” said Dr. Padrón. “At MDC, we believe that opportunity changes everything.  The University of Pennsylvania is one of the finest institutions in the world and this recognition, which I accept on behalf of all my colleagues, only motivates us to continue working for an education system that is accessible, inclusive and of the highest quality.”

Dr. Padrón, who holds a PhD from the University of Florida, arrived in the United States as a teenage refugee in 1961. He became president of Miami Dade College in 1995 and is credited with elevating MDC to a position of national prominence. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.