As a neuroscientist and physiologist, Dr. Vanya Quiñones began studying the human brain in the early 1980s to understand gene expression and how it controls behaviors. Years of research led her to a simple conclusion. “Small things can alter your behavior; that’s the expression of gene behavior. (You can have) one protein that alters your behavior,” says Dr. Quiñones. “We’re all different.”

Her experiences in neuroscience and physiology inform her decision-making as the fourth president of California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB). A self-described “science nerd,” Dr. Quiñones respects the “black and white” data but also considers human factors. She’s been a professor, the chair of a psychology department, an associate provost, and a provost – she knows about social factors. “It’s called research, it’s not called search. You see something and you redo it and look at it differently,” says Dr. Quiñones, who accepted the CSUMB presidency on August 15, 2022.

Born in the small beach town of Arecibo in Puerto Rico, Dr. Quiñones earned a master’s degree in cell biology from the University of Puerto Rico. Wishing to continue her studies in neuroscience, she packed her bags and moved to New Jersey, where she attended Rutgers. “Rutgers had one of the few neuroscience departments. Neuroscience, at the time, was a very unique area,” says Dr. Quiñones. She earned her Ph.D. in neurobiology and physiology from Rutgers, then worked more than 20 years at Hunter College and moved to Pace University in New York, where, in addition to her role in administration, she held the rank of full professor in the Department of Psychology.

An Inflection Point

At 28 years old, CSUMB is ranked seventh in public schools in the west and fourth in upward mobility. Dr. Quiñones likens the school’s life cycle to that of a human being. “When you’re 25 as a human, you start looking at who you’re going to be. In a way, an institution is the same. CSUMB grew from nothing into being top-ranked in many different fields,” says Dr. Quiñones. “Now it has an identity and a personality.”

With an established identity, CSUMB is at an inflection point, and Dr. Quiñones intends to use the school’s past to propel it into the future using a five-year plan. She wants to implement a career development program, with internships for all students. “When my daughter went to NYU Law, I called the dean of Fordham University’s Law School and asked if she could work there. The kids that we serve don’t have mom and dad calling people. The university needs to open doors for the students it enrolls,” says Dr. Quiñones. Career development is essential in this day and age, she continues.

Monterey County is often referred to as the salad bowl of the US, with much of the produce grown there finding its way into Americans’ salads. Given its ties to California’s agricultural community, Dr. Quiñones is aligning CSUMB’s curriculum with its agricultural business partners to ensure CSUMB produces the type of graduate these partners require. “We have a new agricultural degree that was developed in collaboration with some of the ag businesses in Monterey County,” says Dr. Quiñones. In terms of public health, Dr. Quiñones is collaborating with the three hospitals that serve CSUMB’s community in furthering science and healthcare.

Dr. Quiñones is also working to ensure that CSUMB is the first school in the state to align with its three community colleges. “So, it would be two and two - two years at community college and two years with us. We’re also talking with UC Santa Cruz for the students who have aligned to go to a master’s or PhD program,” says Dr. Quiñones. She’s hoping to announce the alignment by spring break.

CSUMB is a residential campus, with thousands of its students living in campus housing and participating in campus activities. With this in mind, Dr. Quiñones is creating traditions designed to enrich campus life and to create a university brand. “Monterey Bay is the number one residential campus in Cal State, with 50 percent of our residents staying in dorms,” says Dr. Quiñones.

Stemming a National Crisis

Of the 7,046 students who attend CSUMB, 46 percent identify as Latino, and 49 percent are first-generation. Sixty-two percent are female, but just 38 percent are male. Dr. Quiñones calls this gender disparity a national crisis. The problem, she says, is that people, particularly males, are not placing the same value on education as they have in the past. “We have all these influencers that students look up to. Some of them don’t have any college education, and after COVID, there has been a (change) in what people want to do in the future,” says Dr. Quiñones.

This gender disparity can alter America’s nuclear family. “You’re going to have family units where the mom is the person who went to college and is the doctor, the professor, the nurse,” says Dr. Quiñones. Of course, women should have the opportunity to earn degrees, but the problem is America’s workplace discriminates against women. Because they earn less than men and are often passed over for promotions when they take maternity leave, families will ultimately yield less income. “Nobody talks about this crisis in which only 20 or 30 percent of the people going to university are male. How will this change the culture? How does it change the family structure, and how does it change the US? We’re going to have programs at CSUMB to start trying to reach students early on to see the value of a degree,” says Dr. Quiñones.

In just a couple of years, the majority of CSUMB students will be Hispanic, like Dr. Quiñones. Given that reality, it’s important for the institution to continue  diversifying its administration and faculty, allowing Hispanic students to visualize themselves as leaders. “That’s something I take very seriously: to be a Hispanic professor, then associate provost, then provost, and now president. I try very hard to talk to students and inspire them… I eat with them in the cafeteria and sit with them outside. It’s important for them to see themselves as us,” says Dr. Quiñones.