Dr. Cyndia Morales Muñiz serves as Senior Director for Grant Initiatives and Partnerships at the University of Central Florida (UCF). In this role, she works collaboratively across academic colleges and divisions to identify, develop, and manage grant opportunities that help advance access and student success priorities. This includes cultivating partnerships with internal and external stakeholders and capacity building for faculty and staff. Additionally, Dr. Muñiz provides leadership as Project Director for UCF’s first awarded Title V grants, totaling $5.7 Million, in support of Project POTENCIAL (Promoting Opportunities that Enhance Navigation, Completion, Inclusion, and Learning) and ENFERMERIA (Educating Nurses for Engagement, Research, Mentoring Excellence & Reinforcing Interpretation Access).
Dr. Muñiz has worked at UCF for thirteen years, having served in various roles within academic and student affairs to champion greater college access, degree attainment, and career readiness. She led efforts that resulted in UCF becoming the third four-year public university in the State University System of Florida to be federally recognized as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) by the U.S. Department of Education in 2019. In 2021, her leadership resulted in UCF achieving Seal of Excelencia certification, for demonstrated momentum in Latino student success while serving all, by aligning data, practice, and leadership. Currently, she serves as Campus Liaison within the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities (HSRU), working to advance UCF’s research enterprise through purposeful collaboration among all 27 Research 1 HSIs nationwide.
Dr. Muñiz is a first-generation college graduate, having earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Binghamton University, a master’s degree in Sociology from St. John’s University and a Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership – Higher Education from UCF. Her achievements and contributions have been recognized locally and nationally through several distinguished awards from the Boy Scouts of America Central Florida Council, Hispanic Chamber of Metro Orlando, Orlando Business Journal, Prospera USA, the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, and the Women’s Executive Council of Orlando. Her name and biography have also been entered into Congressional Record on two occasions in honor of Women’s History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month.