Moisés Salinas


Moisés Salinas Fleitman is a scholar of developmental and social psychology, a multi-cultural educator, a Zionist political activist, and the former Chief diversity officer at Central Connecticut State University and Rector at ORT University Mexico.

Early life

Born in Mexico City, Mexico in 1966, Salinas was involved in Zionist activities from age 15 when he attended the Aluma Institute for Jewish Education, which was a program in Jewish education and leadership. He then served as a youth councilor in the Dor Hadash Zionist Organization in Mexico City. Later, he served as Secretary General of the movement that had about 150 members, and designed educational activities for youth aged 10–18.
Salinas first came to Israel in 1984-5 when he attended the Machon L'Madrichei Chutz La'Aretz, the Institute for Youth Leaders Abroad in Jerusalem, which was a program in Zionist leadership and education. He returned to Israel in 1986 to study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, earning his BA in Educational Psychology in 1991. While studying, he was an active participant of the Peace Now movement and a member of the Mapam party student wing.

Political activities

Salinas moved to Israel in 1986. In 1988, he became the youngest board member of the Magshimim Federation, and he coordinated several programs for the Jewish Agency Youth and Hechalutz department for Latin America. In 2004, Salinas became one of 14 young Zionist leaders worldwide to be honored with the first Herzl Awards from the World Zionist Organization for his contributions to the Zionist movement. In about 2003, Salinas founded the Hartford chapter of the American Zionist Movement. He was profiled in the Jewish Ledger and selected as one of Connecticut's Jewish Movers and Shakers in 2005. He served as a board member of the national American Zionist federation, as well as a board member of Meretz USA and the Jewish Academic Network for Israeli-Palestinian Peace. He served as president of Meretz USA/Partners for Progressive Israel in 2010.

Academic activities

Salinas completed his Ph.D. in educational psychology at the University of Texas in Austin. He most recently served as associate professor of developmental and social psychology at Central Connecticut State University. He has published in a variety of publications, including the Journal of Black Psychology and Computers and Education. He has co-authored papers with psychologists Claude Steele, Joshua Aronson, and Richard Valencia. He has received awards from the American Education Research Association Grant in 2003, from the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning award in 2002, and a The Pew Charitable Trusts Teaching Leadership Award in 1997. In 2008 he was named Chief Diversity Officer at CCSU.
In 2011, Salinas resigned from his position at CCSU when he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor sexual assault charge from one of his former students. He received a one-year suspended jail sentence and a two-year conditional discharge.
He then became Academic Dean at Hebraica University in Mexico City in August 2011.
In 2015, he was named Rector at ORT University Mexico, the first institution in Latin America focused on Social Responsibility, Entrepreneurship and Leadership.

Selected publications

Books