Christie Torruella Smith, SUNY Geneseo director of admissions. (SUNY Geneseo photo/Keith Walters '11)
Geneseo director of admissions Christie Torruella Smith has been named a fellow of SUNY’s 2022 Hispanic Leadership Institute.
Ten faculty and staff from six campuses have been selected as the 2022 class fellows. The HLI is charged with developing and supporting the next generation of Hispanic/Latinx leaders across the SUNY system.
As a fellow, Smith will use personal assessment tools, participate in training sessions and webinars, and converse with national and statewide Hispanic leaders. HLI works with the SUNY SAIL Institute to provide a program that helps participants gain a better understanding of themselves as leaders in higher education; learn how to lead in current and future higher education contexts; engage in critical conversations in the space of diversity, equity, inclusion, and leadership; and advance their understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion and other key issues facing Hispanic or Latinx leaders at SUNY and beyond.
Smith has been the director of admissions at Geneseo since May 2021. She previously served as the associate director of admissions. Smith has also served as the assistant director of admissions at Monroe Community College, where she received the American Association for Women in Community Colleges 40 under 40 award. She earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations from SUNY Oswego and a master’s degree in higher education from the University of Rochester. As director, Smith leads all aspects of undergraduate admissions and works collaboratively with the college’s enrollment management team.
Smith also serves as an advisor to Geneseo's Latin Student Association, has completed SafeZone training and Mental Health First Aid certification, and participates in Geneseo Points of Support, helping students navigate unfamiliar institutional processes.
HLI executive director and University at Albany president Havidán Rodríguez said, "I could not be more enthusiastic about the Hispanic Leadership Institute’s success and progress since its inception—and this new cohort of HLI fellows will only add to those achievements. I am greatly looking forward to working closely with these rising stars from across SUNY as we support their growth and development as emerging leaders.”