CSU Trustees appoint Vanya Quiñones from New York as CSUMB's fourth president.

Just shy of two weeks after Eduardo Ochoa retired after 10 years as president of CSU Monterey Bay on June 30, the CSU Board of Trustees announced his replacement this morning, Vanya Quiñones, who currently serves as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Pace University in New York City. 

“Dr. Quiñones has served in a variety of roles during her decades of service as an educator, and in each of those roles she has continually demonstrated dedication to expanding diversity and improving student success,” CSU Trustee Julia I. Lopez, chair of the CSUMB search committee, said in a press release.

“Key measures of student success including graduation and retention rates continue to reach all-time highs at CSUMB, and Dr. Quiñones has the knowledge, skills, abilities and vision to lead the university to even greater heights," she said.

“I am honored by this opportunity and eager to collaborate with the talented faculty, staff, administrators, students and all members of the CSUMB community as we collectively work to provide even greater access to a high-quality education and improve the achievement of our talented and diverse students," Quiñones said in a statement.

Quiñones is a neurobiologist, biopsychologist and noted researcher, having published more than 70 peer-reviewed articles. She spent over 20 years with City University of New York - Hunter College as a psychology professor and eventually chair of the department. In 2018 she was hired at Pace, a private university, in her current roles, as well as holding the rank of full professor in the Department of Psychology.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and master’s degree in cell biology, both from the University of Puerto Rico, and a Ph.D. in neurobiology and physiology from Rutgers University.

Quiñones will assume her new role as CSUMB's fourth president on Aug. 15.