Raul Santana Nunez: Director of Military and Veteran Services

Raul Santana Nunez, Hazleton, Pa., is the Director of Military and Veteran Services at Marywood University. He was appointed to the position in 2020. His responsibilities include planning, organizing, and directing activities related to student veterans; instituting new initiatives according to identified needs; serving as a liaison for the university and larger community regarding working with student veterans; enhancing the holistic wellbeing of student veterans; helping facilitate a successful transition for student veterans into civilian life; and coordinating activities, promotional efforts, and the Center’s programs throughout the academic year, to name a few.

During his tenure at Marywood University, Raul has established a personal mission of strengthening connections between various entities of the larger Scranton community. The connection between the Patriot Center in Scranton and Marywood University is one example of how Raul wishes to grow the solidarity between these institutions, by keeping both entities in the loop of each other's events. Raul also places a deep emphasis on connecting the veteran community, the student veteran community, and the traditional student community. He seeks to be a beacon of unity between groups that may not realize that they have more things in common than they may think. 

Mr. Nunez earned both his bachelor of arts degree in communication studies with a minor in political science and his master of education degree in educational leadership from Bloomsburg University. While a student at Bloomsburg University, Mr. Nunez served as a graduate assistant for both the Office of Admissions and its DAWN office. Additionally, he served as a policy associate for Student Veterans of America.

Mr. Nunez serves in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, a reserve component of the United States Army, that plays a role in the nation’s defense and support to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in times of need. He has served in this capacity from 2014 to present.

In his role as policy associate for the Student Veterans of America, Mr. Nunez promoted legislative efforts that center on educational rights for veterans, their spouses, and/or other dependents by researching, summarizing and providing a comprehensive understanding of a variety of bills and policies and their significance for veterans in higher education. Additionally, he collaborated with other Veteran Service Organizations advocating for veteran education success in Congress, as well as supporting veteran outreach programs that are centered in general well-being and connectedness, such as the Veterans Creed and the Transition Assistance Programs.

Office of Military and Veteran Resources at Marywood University