The list: 101 top influential leaders in the U.S

Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino, June, 2008

Our Prediction:

Murguia will continue to lend her resolute voice to the immigration debate and will fight the hate-filled fallout, which she says affects all Hispanics regardless of where they were born or what language they speak.

Contact: National Council of La Raza (202) 785-1670

063 CUBA EDUCATION AGE: 48

ELSA A. MURANO

President of Texas A&M University

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Education: Ph.D. from Virginia Tech

Residence: College Station, Texas

CHANCES OF MAKING THE LIST NEXT YEAR: High

Who she is:

On July 4, 1961, the 2-year-old Murano and her family fled Castro's Cuba and lived in different Latin American countries before moving to Puerto Rico then settling in Miami. Murano, who was then14 and knew no English, quickly learned the language and dove into her studies, eventually earning her doctorate in food science and technology. Murano was an assistant professor at Iowa State before joining the Texas A&M faculty in 1995. She served as director of A&M's Center for Food Safety from 1997 until 2001.

Why she made the list:

Murano was named undersecretary for food safety for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2001. As the highest-ranking food safety official in government, Murano oversaw the first U.S. case of mad cow disease. She opted to return to academics and Aggie land in 2005 as the vice-chancellor and dean of agriculture and life sciences. In January, she was named the university's 23rd president, making her the first woman and first Hispanic to hold that position. As the top Aggie, this self-proclaimed girl from Havana holds the reins on one of the largest teaching and research universities in the nation. She has said her priorities include upgrading research and learning space and improving the undergraduate experience.

Our Prediction:

Following the footsteps of popular predecessor Robert Gates won't be a walk in the park, but our money's on this smart administrator to not only achieve her goals for the university but also to win over her detractors.

Contact: Texas A&M University (979) 845-2217

065 MEXICO MEDIA & ADVERTISING AGE: 84

ALEX NOGALES

President and CEO, National Hispanic Media Coalition

Education: B.A. from University of California at Los Angeles

Residence: Los Angeles, California

CHANCES OF MAKING THE LIST NEXT YEAR: High

Who he is:

The son of migrant farm workers from Mexico, Nogales grew up in Calexico, California. He spent the majority of his childhood traveling with his family and helping them pick crops. Later in life, he was able to pursue an education and obtained an undergraduate degree in film and television at the age of 32. He worked as a staff writer for Villa Alegre, a bilingual children's television show, and moved on to CBS. He left television in 1989 and became a formidable businessman and was elected to his current post in the late 1990s.

Why he made the list:

Nogales presides over a powerful organization in the U.S. media: the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC). Among his many credits, Nogales has been instrumental in persuading major TV networks to incorporate more diverse programming that promote a positive image of Latinos. He spearheaded an effort to persuade PBS to ensure that Latino contributions were included in the World War II documentary "The War." He also is an advocate for media and telecommunications policies that benefit Latinos and is spreading the word on the conversion from analog to digital transmission so Hispanics won't be faced with a black screen after the Feb. 2009 conversion. He recently received the "Visionary" Award from V-me Television for his support of the new Digital Spanish Language Television network.