Cynthia Martínez joined the Center for Teaching Excellence as Program Coordinator in August 2022. In her role, Cynthia helps administer the daily work of the CTE. An alumna of Rice University, Cynthia brings her experience working with Rice administrators and resources through her work as VP of Professional Development for the Graduate Student Association (2021–2022) and Vice President of the HGSA (2020–2021). Holding these leadership roles and interacting with the university allowed Cynthia to develop a passion for the administrative side of Higher Education. She looks forward to continuing to develop her career in Higher Education through her role at the CTE.

A native of the Greater Houston area, Cynthia received her Bachelor of Arts in History and Anthropology from the University of Houston in 2015 and her Ph.D. in History from Rice University in 2022. During her time as a Graduate Student at Rice, Cynthia engaged in teaching through her department’s mentor teaching program and teaching a course on Mexican History as the instructor of records. Her doctoral research focused on analyzing the work of Protestant Missionaries in Mexico between 1873 and 1914 through the lens of American cultural imperialism.