Sylvia Muñoz was named assistant dean and director of the Center for Race, Ethnicity & Diversity Education on Wednesday, Oct. 6, after working four months in the interim position.
As the assistant dean and director of the CREDE, Muñoz will be creating race, ethnicity and diversity student education initiatives for students, and will also serve as a member of the Student Life leadership team.
“The CREDE plays a critical role in Elon’s efforts toward becoming a more inclusive and equitable community and I am honored and humbled to be entrusted with this leadership role,” Muñoz said in a university press release. "“I am most excited to continue working collaboratively with different departments and offices to ensure ALANAM students have their experience amplified across the university.”
Muñoz was invited to Elon in 1998 by former university President James Fred Young with the task of starting the Spanish center on campus, El Centro. In 2014, El Centro merged with the CREDE. Muñoz has worked as the associate director of the CREDE and the director of El Centro.
Prior to her promotion, Muñoz worked with many groups and projects on campus, including the ACE Mentoring for Learner Success project, the university Council on Wellness and Well-Being, the university Sexual Assault and Gender Issues Council, the President’s Advisory Council on Inclusive Excellence and the Latinx/Hispanic Implementation Team.
Since being at Elon, Muñoz was recognized with the division of student life mentoring award and the university periclean award for civic engagement and social responsibility in 2018. Most recently, she received the phoenix community engagement award in 2020.