Melisa Medina Cruz is in her 13th year at California State University, Bakersfield, serving in her third year as the Assistant Athletics Director for Academics. As part of her responsibilities, she leads the Kegley Center for Student Success, which provides academic advisement and academic support to CSUB scholar-athletes with the purpose to foster a culture of academic excellence and personal development.
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Medina Cruz is responsible for tracking and enhancing Academic Progress Rate (APR) reports and Graduation Success Rates (GSR). Under her leadership, teams have continued to excel academically, earning a 3.0 GPA and above as a department for the 12th consecutive term, and meeting the NCAA Academic Unit APR benchmark, providing additional funding.
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A strong advocate for change, Medina Cruz serves as co-chair for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Athletics Committee. She is also a member of Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA), the National Association of Academic Student-Athlete Development professionals (N4A), and Women Leaders in College Sports.Â
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Medina Cruz has been a key fixture in the CSU Bakersfield Athletics Department for over 13 years in various capacities. She is a former student-athlete that participated on the CSUB Women’s Soccer team in 2008 as well as the Track & Field and Cross Country team from 2010-2013. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies, with a minor in Music and concentration in Spanish, as well as a Master in Educational Counseling degree from California State University, Bakersfield. Medina Cruz continues her academic journey at CSUB as part of the Doctoral in Education Leadership class of 2023.
