Cynthia Teniente-Matson

Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson is the President of Texas A&M University-San Antonio (A&M-SA) and is a San Antonio native with over 30 years of higher education experience in Alaska, California and Texas. In 2016, she led the university’s transformation from upper-division to a comprehensive master’s university in addition to achieving the U.S. Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) designation.

Dr. Teniente-Matson has led strategic initiatives and partnerships including the creation of the Mays Center for Experiential Learning and Community Engagement, Cisneros Institute for Emerging Leaders, Institute of Water Resource Science and Technology, Cyber Engineering Technology/Cyber Security Research Center and the university’s first Facebook CyberSecurity University Program. She has lead the redevelopment of the campus’ 694-acre masterplan to support its accelerated growth including approximately $200 million in new facilities, infrastructure improvements and P3 partnerships, and developed support from elected officials to build an economic regional hub for South Bexar County.

Dr. Teniente-Matson created the President’s Commission on Equity (PCOE) to advance equity and inclusion. She has created leadership development competency models for Chief Business Officers in Higher Education, is a former board chair of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), and currently serves as a faculty member for its Fellows Program and New Business Officer Programs.

Dr. Teniente-Matson has been recognized worldwide and nationally for her leadership and service. In 2020, she was awarded the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership’s 2020 US-Japan Public Intellectual, and in 2019 she was recognized as a Network for Change and Continuous Innovation’s (NCCI) top 20 Thought Leaders in Change and Innovation. She has also received the NACUBO Professional Development Award, Making a Mark on the World Innovation Award from the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber, the Top 10 Professional Woman of the Year Award from the Marjoree Mason Center, the Women’s Leadership Award from the SA Business Journal, the Comet Award from the SA Women’s Chamber, the Hope Award from the Hispanic Organization for Public Employees, the Civil Leader Award from La Prensa, and The Top 40 under 40 from the Alaska Journal of Commerce.

Dr. Teniente-Matson serves on numerous national educational-governing and local civic boards. She is currently the Treasurer for the board of directors for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), and Treasurer for Higher Education Resource Services (HERS). She is also a member of TIAA’s Inclusion and Diversity Council, and currently serves on the City of San Antonio Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women. Dr. Teniente-Matson was also a mayoral appointee and President of the San Antonio 2018 Tricentennial Commission.