Cynthia Olivo, Ph.D.

Dr. Cynthia Olivo has been a professional in higher education since 1995. For 22 years she has served in capacities including Dean, Associate Vice President & Vice President. This is her 15th year as an administrator including seven years at the university level and nine years in community college.

Dr. Olivo serves as the Vice President of Student Services at Pasadena City College (PCC), a large college serving 30,000 diverse students including 51% Latino, 27% Asian & Pacific Islander, 6% African American, 17% White and 43% first generation college students with 65% meeting low income guidelines. Her leadership hallmark traits include the ability to lead innovation to improve student outcomes, build consensus among stakeholder groups to advance student success, and create an engaging, inclusive environment to foster change in practices. Dr. Olivio's initiatives include collaborating to create at scale First & Second Year Experience programs, PCC Complete Graduation Initiative, Student Equity Leadership to Transform College Practices in the classroom, hiring, and services to students.

She earned her BA in Psychology and a Master of Science in Counseling from California State University San Bernardino. She earned her Ph.D. in Education with an emphasis in Urban Leadership from Claremont Graduate University. Dr. Olivo is passionate about access to college, success and retention for marginalized groups of students such as Latinos, African Americans, Undocumented, First Generation College and Low Income Students. She is the granddaughter of migrant farmworkers, raised by a single mom, first in her family to go to college and third generation Mexican-American/Chicana.