The California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees has appointed Vanya Quiñones to serve as president of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Quiñones currently serves as president of Cal State Monterey Bay.

“I am profoundly honored to be chosen to lead Cal Poly Pomona, become part of its long and impressive history and contribute to its future vision,” Quiñones said. “I am drawn to Cal Poly Pomona’s strong focus on measuring success by the opportunities it creates and the impact it has on students, families and the surrounding community. I welcome the opportunity to work in partnership with the campus community to support the continued success of the institution and advance its mission for years to come.”

“Dr. Quiñones is an innovative and data-driven decision maker who aligns institutional priorities with student needs to support immediate progress and long-term stability,” said Diego Arambula, vice chair of the CSU Board of Trustees and chair of the Cal Poly Pomona Presidential Search Committee. “Under her leadership at Cal State Monterey Bay, the university has thrived, and the committee is confident that her record of success will continue in service to Cal Poly Pomona.”

Quiñones’ 30-year career in education as a scientist, researcher and academic administrator has been centered in student success and diversity in the arts and sciences.

As president of Cal State Monterey Bay since 2022, Quiñones has led the university through a period of growth, achieving a nearly 30% rise in enrollment growth after years of enrollment declines. She’s supported and fostered that growth by expanding opportunities, guidance and clear pathways, including adding more experiential learning opportunities and implementing an institutional mentor program for all undergraduates. Under her leadership, the university also improved its budget outlook and increased research funding and philanthropic giving.

Prior to joining the CSU, Quiñones was provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs at Pace University in New York, where she had oversight of all academic and student-related academic offices and personnel as well as Information Technology. She also held the rank of full professor in the Department of Psychology. 

For 21 years at the City University of New York (CUNY) – Hunter College, she served as an assistant, associate and full professor in the Department of Psychology before being appointed to serve as the chair of the department. She was later promoted to the role of associate provost for Student Success and Retention. 

At CUNY she brought in more than $25 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health, private foundations and the Department of Education, much of which was dedicated to supporting the work of underrepresented minorities.

A neurobiologist, biopsychologist and noted researcher who has published more than 70 peer-reviewed papers, Quiñones was one of a handful of research pioneers that described gender differences in the brain and helped change the course of future research in that area. 

Quiñones earned a Bachelor of Science in biology and a Master of Science in cell biology from the University of Puerto Rico, and a doctorate in neurobiology and physiology from Rutgers University.

She will assume the university presidency on July 1, becoming the eighth president of Cal Poly Pomona and the first Latina to lead the institution.