Maria Genao-Homs, Ed.D. (she/her/hers) serves as the executive director for the Center for Cultural Connections and Community at the University of Colorado Boulder. Dr. Genao-Homs provides oversight of the key programs areas: Intercultural Engagement, Pride, Education and Social Change and the First-Generation Student Enrichment office In this inaugural, student-centered role, she serves as an advocate for students from historically marginalized identities by leading the development of a department vision, strategy, and accompanying initiatives to encourage a systemic and inclusive campus culture that celebrates and respects the unique qualities of all its members.
Prior to her role at CU-Boulder, she has served at various profiles of higher education institutions across the United States. Dr. Genao-Homs works through a lens of intersectionality to advocate for institutional policy that encourage the persistence, well-being and retention of historically underserved student populations. Her efforts have been recognized on the national stage. In 2022, Dr. Genao-Homs was the recipient of the NASPA Bobby E. Leach Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Award.
Dr. Genao-Homs’ scholar-practitioner interests include understanding how power dynamics manifest and persist in educational institutions, the experiences of first-generation students and intercultural dialogue. Her approach is informed by her own lived experiences as an immigrant, second-language English speaker, and first-generation student. Dr. Genao-Homs’ work has been published in journals and edited publications.
Hailing from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, she holds degrees from New York University, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the University of Central Florida. In her spare time, Dr. Genao-Homs loves a good laugh, travel, foodie things, lifting heavy weights, and quality time with her spouse and super cute Pitbull rescue. Serving her community, local and otherwise, is non-negotiable: Dr. Genao-Homs has lent her time to causes that focus on HIV/AIDS awareness in minoritized communities, championing issues impacting women and girls, and finding ways to apply her formal education to help others.