Dr. Olivia “Oli” Muñoz is an equity and inclusion advocate who is passionate about igniting people power in the Latinx community. She believes in popular education as a mechanism for individual growth, community connection, and social change.
Olivia brings a wealth of experience in higher education, community arts, and journalism to her work at the Latino Community Foundation. Most recently, she worked in Student Life at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, the oldest college in the west. She has held several positions at universities in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Valley, where advocating for marginalized and underrepresented students was the priority. Highlights include the founding of an UndocuWeek at the University of San Francisco, developing inclusive hiring practices, and presenting nationally on the use of testimonio in educational research. Olivia has twice sailed as a staff member of the Semester at Sea study abroad program.
Prior to a decade of experience in education, Olivia worked as a reporter for several publications, including The Detroit News and the Associated Press, where she covered agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley. During her tenure, she profiled farmers and wrote features on food and business. A lifelong arts enthusiast, Oli has worked and volunteered at museums, galleries, and performance venues, including Arte Americas in Fresno, which she calls home once again. She has published essays and poetry, informed by her culture.
Olivia has a B.A. in Journalism and Art from Central Michigan University, a Master of Fine Arts in Nonfiction Writing from California State University, Fresno, and a doctorate in International and Multicultural Education from the University of San Francisco.