Fellows-in-Residence

Program Description:

SUNY LEADS offers a number of individualized leadership development opportunities to emerging and established leaders.  SUNY LEADS enables current and aspiring leaders to expand and strengthen their professional and personal skills and abilities to pursue increasingly complex leadership positions within SUNY by participating in a Fellow-in-Residence program.

The SUNY LEADS Fellow-in-Residence

• The Fellow-in-Residence is offered to former Fellows (AANHPILI, BLI, or HLI), who successfully completed the program and are currently employed at a SUNY institution or the System level and whose aspirations include a senior level or a position in the President’s Cabinet of a SUNY institution.  
• The Fellow-in-Residence will spend the Spring (January – May) or the Fall (August – December) semester in collaboration with a senior administrative leader at a SUNY campus or at the SUNY System level.  The structure of the residency is intentionally flexible to accommodate the Fellow’s professional responsibilities and location. Fellows may choose to engage in the experience on a full-time, part-time, hybrid, or primarily remote basis, depending on the mutual agreement with the host institution or office.
• The Fellow-in-Residence will receive up to a 25% effort buyout from their current responsibilities at their home campus or, where a buyout is not feasible, a monthly stipend. The buyout approach reinforces the program’s credibility and institutional commitment by ensuring dedicated time for the Fellow to participate in cabinet-level meetings, strategic planning discussions, and other high-impact leadership experiences.   
• Fellows-in-Residence will be required to submit a written report outlining the goals, lessons learned, challenges, and achievements of their fellowship experience.  Fellows should be prepared to present their findings and reflections to their campus community and SUNY leadership as part of any culminating session or showcase event.   

Fellow-in-Residence Application

Interested Fellows should submit an application to Zulaika.Rodriguez@suny.edu no later than December 1, 2025 for the Spring and March 1, 2026 for the Fall.

 The application should include:

• A one - two-page letter of interest with a strong justification and rationale regarding your participation in the Fellow-in-Residence program, including:
  • How this program will enhance and strengthen your professional growth and development;
  • Preferred SUNY institution or SUNY System Level department;
  • Identify a host institution and a senior administrative leader with whom you wish to work closely throughout the semester. Fellows are encouraged to explore potential host campuses and leaders in advance of applying to ensure alignment with their professional goals and leadership interests. SUNY LEADS can also assist in identifying and facilitating appropriate placements based on the Fellow’s focus areas and institutional needs across SUNY;
  • Potential outcomes/deliverables of this experience.
• Provide letter of support from the host campus leadership (e.g., President, Provost or other Vice-President in your area of interest). This letter should highlight the types of projects and initiatives you will be actively engaged in at the host campus and the support they will provide in your semester-long professional development experience. Applicants are responsible for initiating these conversations and securing a letter of support from the host campus leadership.
• Provide letter from your current campus leadership (e.g., President, Vice-President or Provost) confirming institutional endorsement of Fellow’s participation. The letter should highlight how this semester-long residency will enhance the applicant’s professional development and leadership growth, as well as how the experience will contribute to their current and future roles within the institution.
  • Should highlight that the applicant, if selected, will receive a 25% effort buyout from their current responsibilities or a stipend.
  • If the applicant’s direct supervisor is not the signatory of the first letter, a separate letter of support should be provided. This letter should detail how the Fellow’s time and responsibilities will be adjusted to accommodate participation in the program. 
• If a 25% effort buyout is selected, the fellow’s weekly schedule should be adjusted to reflect a 25% reduction in their current duties. If a stipend is selected, the fellow will maintain full-time responsibilities at their home campus but should be granted reasonable flexibility, such as adjusted meeting schedules or professional leave time to engage in program related activities, virtual meetings, or short-term campus-visits. 

Anticipated Timeline:

Former Fellows-in-Residence

2018 Cohort 

• Andre Melendez

2019 Cohort

• Karen Ferrer-Muniz

Karen Ferrer-Muñiz

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, University of Massachusetts, Boston (UMass Boston)

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Dr. Karen Ferrer-Muñiz, PhD has more than 30 years of experience as an educational administrator, faculty and academic advisor, specializing in student life development, retention and enrollment management, developmental education, and academic support services, currently serving as Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of Massachusetts, Boston (UMass Boston). Previously, Karen was the Vice President of Enrollment Management & Dean of Students at Utica University, the Dean for Academic Support Services & Retention at Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC), and the Associate Dean of Students/Director of Minority Student Affairs & HEOP at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY.

As a transformational intentional servant Leader and in this capacities her responsibilities have included recruitment, admissions, financial aid, advisement, onboarding students, orientation, campus safety and police, health services, campus student activities, counseling services, religious affairs, multicultural affairs, learning centers, advising centers, college preparation programs, students' athletes' persistence, developmental learning, faculty development, instructional support services, and retention programs.  Her accomplishments are based on combining both areas of academic and student affairs to promote student success and retention on campus.  She is in involve in institutional accreditation processes, promoting educational excellence and quality assurance as a peer evaluator, in the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

Karen received her bachelor’s degree in political sciences from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico. She also received her master’s degree and a PhD from State University of New York at Albany in Social Sciences and Latin American Studies.  In addition, Karen is the 2019 SUNY Hispanic Leadership Institute Fellow in Residence. She has worked as a board member with several professional associations, including SUNY Council on Assessment, Centro Civico Hispano-Americano Inc., co -founder of Upstate New York Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Ibero Inc., Girl Scouts of America, Tech Valley High School Business Alliance Board, Educational Opportunity Center Advisory Board and the Children's Museum of Science and Technology.  

Karen's personal interest and mission is to provide tools for success to underrepresented and under-served students, especially in higher education. She came from the Island of Puerto Rico 34 years ago and since then she has volunteered and dedicated her time to work with community-based organizations throughout the US northeast region.

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