The Mexicano Trailblazers of Brownwood award will be presented to Dr. Zenaido Camacho, Jr., the first Mexicano to earn a doctoral degree in chemistry in the United States.

Camacho, the son of Mexican immigrants who settled in Brownwood in the late 1920s, attended Brownwood schools and graduated from Brownwood High School in 1960. He learned to play baseball and football in the streets and basketball in back yards. He played football for Central Elementary School, where TSTC is presently located. Football games were played at Wiggins Park, homefield of the Central Tigers.

In junior high and high school, Camacho played football, basketball, and ran track. During summers he was a standout player in junior teenage and senior teenage baseball. He took a year off athletics in high school to be a cheerleader. Consistently an honor roll student, in high school he was in the National Honor Society.

He received Bachelor and Master’s degrees from Baylor University and his doctoral degree from the University of Texas.

Camacho’s entire career was spent in academia teaching science and medicine and as an administrator. He started as an assistant professor in the Department of Pathology at Washington State University, and then at the University of Washington School of Medicine where he was Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and associate professor in the Division of Research and Medical Education and assistant professor in the Department of Pathology.

He returned to Texas, accepting multiple positions at Baylor College of Medicine including Associate Dean, associate professor in the Department of Pathology, associate professor in the Department of Community Medicine, and Senior Associate Dean and professor in the Department of Pathology and professor in the Department of Community Medicine.

Camacho then accepted positions at Rice University as Vice President for Student Affairs and professor of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, all while continuing at Baylor College of Medicine as adjunct professor of Pathology and adjunct professor of Community Medicine.

After a very brief attempt at retirement, Camacho accepted a position with Texas Tech University at their Health Science Center El Paso where he served as Associate Regional Dean and professor of Community Medicine and professor in the Department of Pathology.

Camacho concluded his distinguished career at the University of Colorado Denver where he served as Associate Vice Chancellor, Vice Provost, Chief Diversity Officer, Senior Associate Dean of the School of Medicine and Interim Executive Director Latino Research and Policy Center.

In addition to his administrative and professorial responsibilities, Camacho was a project advisor on 46 grants, directed 10 research grants, had 21 publications, and delivered over 150 lectures and speeches throughout his career, for which he received 60 awards and honors.