SNHU Agents of Change Podcast · SNHU Social Sciences

Season 5 Ep 16: Advocating for Underrepresented Voices

·27 min·1 clip

Latinas who reached senior leadership often did not help other Latinas get there.

Ron Pedro introduces Dr. Zaibes Munoz-Ismay and sets up a conversation about advocating for underrepresented voices. She comes across as a dynamic higher-education leader with a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her research centers on the recruitment and retention of Latinas in senior executive roles. That focus stays close to the practical question of how institutions move from inclusion in name to support in action. She describes a pattern that surprised her. In her interviews, some Latina colleagues were not the first to champion one another when career opportunities came up. Instead, they often questioned the role, the portfolio, or the details of the accomplishment. She links that response to the idea of not sending the elevator back down after climbing it. The conversation then turns to queen bee syndrome. In that frame, scarcity can make people guard one seat at the table instead of making room for others. She suggests that repeated competition can teach someone to treat access as something to protect rather than share. The episode also notes her surprise that the strongest career champions in her research were often white men or white women. That detail gives the discussion a less tidy, more honest shape. She then distinguishes sponsorship from general encouragement. Sponsorship means putting your name on the line for someone else, whether you know them formally or informally. The exchange makes clear that this kind of advocacy matters because it can help shape who gets support and recognition. The closing emphasis is direct. She argues that Latinas have earned degrees, bring valued experience, and contribute culture and wide-lived perspective. Her repeated instruction is simple: pay them. The episode ends with Ron Pedro thanking her and underscoring the importance of the research for listeners who care about leadership, equity, and institutional change.

As heard by us

A sharp look at sponsorship, pay equity, and what real backing looks like for underrepresented leaders in higher education.

This episode follows a clear line: Dr. Zaibes Munoz-Ismay talks about Latinas in senior executive roles, the barriers that slow advancement, and the work of making higher education more than a symbolic open door.

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Why you'd press play

You want a calm, specific conversation about advocating for underrepresented voices in higher-ed leadership and why sponsorship matters.

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