Dr. Cyndia Morales Muñiz serves as Director of HSI Culture and Partnerships at the University of Central Florida (UCF). In this inaugural role, she provides strategic leadership in the development and execution of UCF’s Hispanic-Serving Institution goals and policy. She also serves as the university representative for national partnerships with a focused mission on Latino student success and federal funding programs designed to strengthen minority-serving institutions.
Dr. Muñiz began her career at UCF in 2012 as Assistant Director of Multicultural Academic Support, where she advised and facilitated professional development workshops for first-generation and transfer students. She later went on to serve as Assistant Director of Hispanic Initiatives, chairing UCF’s Hispanic-Serving Institution Task Force charged with implementing culturally relevant services and programs designed to promote an inclusive HSI campus culture. Since 2012, Dr. Muñiz has worked to bring attention to and ensure equitable representation of the Latino community in all university initiatives. She has enhanced Hispanic Heritage Month campus programming and advised several Latino-based student organizations over the years. She is also the Founding President of the Latino Faculty and Staff Association (LaFaSA) and established UCF’s Latino Graduation Celebration – Nuestra Graduación.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology at Binghamton University, a master’s degree in sociology at St. John’s University and a doctoral degree in educational leadership at the University at Central Florida. Her efforts and accomplishments have been recognized by UCF, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando, the Puerto Rican Chamber of Central Florida, La Prensa Newspaper, the Orlando Business Journal, the Women’s Executive Council of Orlando, the Council for Latino Workplace Equity and the College Board. In 2018, her biography was written into Congressional Record by the Honorable Darren Soto in recognition of Women’s History Month.
A proud Puerto Rican, and a New York native, Cyndia resides in Orlando, Florida with her loving, supportive husband Antonio.