The field of neuroscience was surging into the popular consciousness as Vanya Quiñones was embarking on her academic career, starting with a bachelor’s in biology in 1984 at the Universidad de Puerto Rico, followed by a master’s in cell biology in 1986. She went on to earn a doctorate in neurobiology at Rutgers University in New Jersey in 1993. She worked in labs researching addiction and ultimately settled into a specialty examining how male and female brains differ, before taking a turn into university administration. After 11 years as a professor of psychology at Hunter College in New York, she became provost in 2015, the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Pace University.
On Aug. 15, she became the fourth president of CSU Monterey Bay. Now fully transplanted outside of the classroom, Quiñones’ first order of business was a 100-day listening tour. That included attending games of every sports team, talking to students, as well as meeting with community leaders. “I think the most important thing for an institution is to work not only inside the fences, but the outside,” she says.
Besides housing a number of bulky neuroscience textbooks, her bookshelf features family photos (including dogs) and trinkets. A jar reads “Ashes of Problem Students.”
And as to a photo of her uncle’s dairy cow, Daisy, on the bookshelf: “I look at her once in a while because she doesn’t care about anything in the world – and she’s pretty fabulous.”
Weekly: You have already met with industry leaders in healthcare – executives from all four Monterey County hospitals – and agriculture. How can CSUMB develop the future workforce?
Quiñones: The crisis is that there is no value of education. We have a perfect product that is for the last century, this product that is talking to the academic, but not an 18-year-old. The promise will be every student will have training that will allow you to get the job of the future – it’s the duty of the university. Most universities are embedded in liberal arts, creating thinkers and philosophers – our university is unique.
[Taylor Farms CEO] Bruce Taylor gave $10 million to enhance an area needed by the industry [a new science and engineering building; a supply chain management, a new degree program, will launch in 2024; next year, CSUMB will hire its first mechatronics faculty member]. Another hole is health – we need mental health nurses, trauma nurses. The [physician assistant] program is in high demand, also occupational therapy and physical therapy. I want to be one of the hubs of health.
You cannot have a static curriculum, you have to have something that moves. The problem is everything is changing fast, and universities move at the speed of lava.
Ancillary services at college campuses seem to be getting nicer and nicer – not the curriculum, but the gym, the food, the facilities. How much does CSUMB need to focus on that?
Academia is like a cruise ship. You are selling education but people come and see the overall experience.
I am not competing, we are making this product unique. We may not have a San Diego State University stadium, but we have this relationship with the Monterey Bay F.C. soccer stadium. We may not have seven spin machines in the gym, but every Friday we go biking on trails on Fort Ord. The key is to create your own experience – we are working on the student experience, and making new traditions. We are working on student life beyond the classroom. We did a plunge in the ocean, and we are going to do that every year.
During the pandemic, school went virtual. What is the future of virtual learning?
We have to provide all three teaching modes: virtual, in-person and hybrid. Covid, in terms of the administrative aspect of an institution, was a nightmare but also a blessing. It removed the silos of an institution to make a stronger, more dynamic team.
You’ve had this incredible career arc, from growing up in rural Puerto Rico to neuroscientist to college president.
The reason was I wanted to have more students like me out there. When I became [department] chair [at Hunter], I could remove barriers.
The reason I am here is I still have that feeling – it is good you bring more people with you when you are moving forward.