Villalobos-Buehner set to be next AAUP president

By Jake Tiger

Growing up in Colombia, Maria Villalobos-Buehner gained an appreciation for unions early on.

Her uncle, Ramiro Villalobos, worked for the Bank of the Republic, Colombia’s central bank. He handled grievances on his union’s executive team, often staying at Villalobos-Buehner’s childhood home during business trips and hosting other key members there for informal meetings.

They’d gather in their living room decorated with simple, ’70s furniture or in their dining room around a large, oval-shaped oak table big enough for family dinners, and work through stressful union issues or celebrate a successful negotiation.

Whatever the occasion, they always did it together, Villalobos-Buehner said. Even at a young age, not always knowing what they were talking about, she could feel the strength of their solidarity.

“He would always advise me, ‘Never go against your values,’” she recalled. “I used to tell him, ‘That’s what gets me into trouble!’ But he would say, ‘That’s a good trouble to have because it will lead you in the right direction with the right people by your side.’”

Now, after 15 years at Rider, Villalobos-Buehner is set to be the next president of the university’s faculty union during a critical transition period.

Villalobos-Buehner, a professor in the Languages, Literatures and Cultures Department, will head Rider’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors for the 2025-26 academic year, overseeing the union as Rider welcomes new leadership ahead of President Gregory Dell’Omo’s retirement in July.

The union has had a contentious relationship with Dell’Omo and his administration since his arrival in 2015, with layoffs, protests and two votes of no-confidence, asking for his removal the second time. The union had never held a no-confidence vote on any prior president.

With a new president offering a sort of fresh start for the union, Villalobos-Buehner said the upcoming year will be essential in forming a more amicable, long-term relationship with the university’s decision-makers.

“This time of transition to new leadership is key,” Villalobos-Buehner said. “[Faculty] voices are central to the mission of the university, and I want to make sure that this relationship is in sync, that we have a relationship that is founded upon transparency and honesty. … I want to make sure that … this new leadership at Rider works with us instead of against us.”

In October 2015, the fourth month of his presidency, Dell’Omo announced sweeping layoffs and program cuts that ultimately led to the union forfeiting three years of raises so professors could keep their jobs and programs.

Villalobos-Buehner is hoping things go a bit differently this time.

“There is that feeling that our input doesn’t really matter … so I see this time of change as an opportunity,” Villalobos-Buehner said. “[We need to ensure that] the ideas, the needs, the concerns that the faculty have are not only acknowledged, but acted upon. … We are not an afterthought.”

The union does not vote until its meeting on April 29, but with nominations closed and the election uncontested, Villalobos-Buehner is set to take over for current AAUP President Quinn Cunningham, who said the union’s elections are “almost always” uncontested.

Cunningham has led the AAUP for the past two years, and Villalobos-Buehner served as her vice president in both terms. Cunningham, a business professor, said Villalobos-Buehner will bring a new perspective with her working in the College of Arts and Sciences.

“[Villalobos-Buehner is] good about asking questions and then trying to find solutions for whatever might be going on, so I think she’s going to be a nice transition for everybody.

Villalobos-Buehner also has served as the union’s promotion and tenure chair for four years.

Villalobos-Buehner is not one of the two faculty members involved in Rider’s ongoing presidential search; the committee’s faculty representation is Cunningham and Allison Thomas-Cottingham, a psychology professor and AAUP member.

Cunningham did not share details about the progress of the presidential search.