The CUNY Board of Trustees appointed Félix V. Matos Rodríguez as the new chancellor of the university system. 

Rodríguez is the first Latino leader of CUNY, and was selected for being the best candidate for the job, but who is he and what made him stand out from the other candidates?

Before becoming president of Queens College, Rodríguez was also the president of Eugenio María de Hostos Community College, and under him, the college was able to double its retention rate, according to CUNY’s official website. 

CUNY also noted that during his time at Queens College, Rodríguez was able to move the college into the top fifth of the country’s income distribution, as reported in a 2016 study of the Equality of Opportunity Project. Rodríguez has a great background in uplifting the standards for colleges.

 Since both schools are part of CUNY, Rodríguez has always been dedicated to the CUNY education system. Therefore, students will value his devotion and loyalty to CUNY when he adjusts to his new role in May. Besides being president and professor, Rodríguez has also published several books and articles. 

For example, he wrote an article in the Huffington Post titled “$46,432 vs. $372 — Community Colleges and Philanthropic Support” encouraging more money to be endowed to community colleges. 

He emphasizes that these resources are needed for a successful college career. 

Later in the article, he says that it is extremely important to fund community colleges because most of these kids are the future. 

He also stated that, “investment in community colleges is investment in maintaining the American Dream.” 

With that in mind, this article single-handedly shows that Rodríguez was the right choice for the chancellor position, because he is a man that will do what it takes to create a strong educational system. 

With his attentive push for more financial resources in 2013, think about the things he will do for the rest of CUNY in the future. Rodríguez has always been on the right path. He is committed to helping students in need. He has undoubtedly made a difference in student lives.