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​​Bernardo (Bernie) Joaquin Canteñs, CPA, MA (Accounting), Ph.D.(Philosophy)

Executive Vice President and Provost, Sul Ross State University

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Bernardo (Bernie) Joaquin Canteñs, CPA, MA, Ph.D., is a first-generation Cuban American born in Miami, Florida. His parents immigrated to the United States as political refugees from Cuba in the 1960s. Dr. Canteñs earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Accounting from Florida International University (FIU) and became a Certified Public Accountant. He began his professional career with Coopers & Lybrand before returning to academia, driven by a profound passion for philosophy. He went on to earn a second Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, graduating cum laude and receiving the Academic Achievement Award in Philosophy. He then pursued graduate studies at the University of Miami, completing both a Master’s and a Ph.D. in Philosophy. Dr. Canteñs began his academic career as an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Barry University in Miami, where he rose to the rank of Full Professor. In 2008, he joined Moravian University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, serving as Chair of the Philosophy Department and later as Associate Provost for Global Education and Online Innovation. In January 2022, Dr. Canteñs was appointed Executive Vice President and Provost at Sul Ross State University.

 

A respected scholar, he has been honored with the William James Prize and the inaugural Latin American Philosophy Award by the American Philosophical Association. His research has received support from three NEH Grants and other private foundations, such as the Gladys Krieble Foundation. A distinguished scholar in philosophy, Dr. Cantens is internationally recognized for his contributions to Latin American thought and American pragmatism..His research has been supported by multiple National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grants, including an NEH Fellowship for his work on Peirce’s evolutionary philosophy, an NEH Summer Seminar Scholarship on ethnic and cultural identity, and an NEH Enduring Questions Grant to develop a course on theories of peace. He also received a Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation Grant (2019) for Humanities for the Professions, an applied humanities project integrating virtue ethics into health sciences and business programs.​

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Dr. Canteñs has more than 25 years of experience in higher education. His leadership philosophy is grounded in building relationships and fostering a culture of trust. He prioritizes being an ethical, global, entrepreneurial, and service-oriented university leader, with a deep commitment to academic excellence, collaboration, inclusiveness, and a student-centered mission.

Among his proudest accomplishments are:
 

• Restructuring Sul Ross State University’s academic framework to better align academic programs more closely with workforce needs across West Texas and the broader State of Texas.

• Leading the institution to its 2025 Carnegie reclassification as a Research University and earning recognition as a High Access and High Earning Opportunity University, affirming Sul Ross's dual commitment to academic excellence and social mobility.

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