Vanya Quiñones

Vanya Quiñones is an American university administrator and former neurobiologist. She serves as the current President of California State University, Monterey Bay.

Vanya Quiñones
5th President of California State University, Monterey
Incumbent
Assumed office August 2022
Preceded by	Eduardo M. Ochoa
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Pace University
In office 2018–2022
Personal details
Born	Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Alma mater	University of Puerto Rico (BS, MS) Rutgers University (PhD)
Scientific career
Fields	neurobiology
Institutions	Hunter College Pace University California State University, Monterey Bay
Thesis	Characterization of a mouse hypothalamic cell line immortalized with a temperature-sensitive variant of the large T antigen of the simian virus 40 (1992)
Doctoral advisor	Herbert Geller

Early life and education

Quiñones was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico and spent her childhood on her family's dairy farm.^[1][2]

She attended the University of Puerto Rico, where she obtained her bachelor's degree in biology and a master's degree in cell biology. She attended Rutgers University, where she earned her Ph.D. in neurobiology and physiology.^[3]

Career

Quiñones taught at Hunter College and eventually ended up becoming the provost at Pace University before becoming the president at California State University, Monterey Bay.^[3][4]