Sonia Morales

Sonia Morales, our new OMP Assistant Director, supports students through the development, implementation, and assessment of culturally affirming programs and services. She is also responsible for the overall administration of the Loke Hall Building including events and programs.

As a first-generation student and immigrant to this country, Sonia provides warm and empathic, holistic advising to all OMP students. Her architecture and building management backgrounds bring to Loke Hall an aesthetic and practical perspective to reinforce the OMP identity and goals. Her expertise offers a design approach that will help to adapt the space serving underrepresented students with a more enjoyable and secure environment.

During her five years working in academia, Ms. Morales has acquired a depth of knowledge to serve students coming from diverse backgrounds. She has proven a stalwart when it comes to navigating the collegiate world for historically marginalized scholars and aiding her students. Before coming to Valpo, Ms. Morales worked as an advisor for the Northeastern Illinois University McNair Scholars Program. During her tenure, she helped countless first-generation, low-income, and students of color to achieve their dreams to continue and succeed in graduate education. Additionally, she coordinated events, conferences, and activities that would enrich her students’ experience.

For her masters, Ms. Morales’ attention was directed toward studying segregation and exclusion in Latin America and the United States. She studied how historically underserved people were affected by systematic exclusion from housing regulations and how independent actors from different sectors shaped this segregation. Ms. Morales’ research accorded her a mention of the Best Master’s Thesis in Cartography, Geodesy and/or Geographic Information by the Organization of American States. Her article will be published in la Revista Cartográfica del Instituto Panamericano de Geografía e Historia (IPGH).

Ms. Morales holds a Master’s in Geography and Environmental Studies from Northeastern Illinois University, a Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from Northeastern Illinois University, a Graduate Certificate in Urban Policy from Universidad del Rosario (Bogota, Colombia), and a Bachelor’s in Architecture from Universidad la Gran Colombia (Armenia, Colombia).