Staff Spotlight: Vasti Torres

What is your name and what do you do at OVPUE?

I am Vasti Torres and as of July 1 I am the Interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education.

What three traits define you?

These are the traits I like to think are most notable. First is that I communicate in a straight-forward manner. I like to get to the point and be honest about what I see occurring. Second would be my sense of humor – at least I find many things funny and like to think I can be humorous. And finally, I would say that I enjoy considering complex problems. Some take more time to solve than others, but I enjoy engaging with the processes needed to solve complex issues.

These types of questions always make me wonder if others agree with my self-assessment?

What would you do (for a career) if you weren’t doing this?

At one point I considered going back to school to be an architect. I would enjoy the creative and problem-solving nature of creating a building.

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

There are many things I would like to learn. At this point in my life, I tend to desire creative things like playing an instrument and learning to draw. Both take talent so I am not sure I have that but I would enjoy learning.

What challenging thing has happened (to) for you, and what did you gain from it?

Life is full of challenges, but I must say that immigrating to this country and starting school without any knowledge of the English language influences the way I approach others and my comfort with ambiguity. I started school before there were English language learner courses, so it was a sink or swim type atmosphere. In case anyone is interested I do not recommend that type of approach.

How do you define success?

Few people really think about what would make them feel successful – that is why it often feels elusive. I define success by living my life goal – to be remembered as a good person.

What do you do in your spare time?

My main hobby is travel – I take vacations very seriously and try to make sure I have both short and long periods of time off to enjoy new places. I also enjoy casual biking and try to play golf when I can.

What is a favorite book, movie, and/or tv show that had an impact on you?

I do not tend to focus on a book or movie after I finish it – so this is difficult to answer. I will say that I am drawn to funny movies and mystery books. I enjoy reading fiction to relax and separate from my work life.

Where would you like to go on a dream vacation?

Not sure I have one place. Because I enjoy travel, I can say that I have been in 49 of the 50 states and a fair number of countries. The places still on my bucket list are: the Australian Barrier Reef, Greece, Turkey, Fiji and the Galapagos Islands.

What are you looking forward to about working at OVPUE?

I spent my career reading about and investigating student success in higher education – this is one of the few jobs where my main responsibility is helping undergraduate students be successful. OVPUE allows me to combine my research interest with my own personal passion – student success.