Dr. Sheila Amin Gutiérrez de Piñeres is Dean of the Burnett Honors College and professor of public administration at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Dr. Amin received her PhD in economics from Duke University, MA from the University of Chicago, and BA from Texas A&M University. She joined UCF in 2018 following her role as Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean of Faculty at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. Previously, she served as Dean of Undergraduate Education and professor of economics at the University of Texas at Dallas. She is a Founding (Emeritus) Fellow of the University of Texas System Academy of Distinguished Teachers. 

In addition to her role as Dean, Dr. Amin currently serves as Interim Chief Information Officer and Vice President for Information Technology at UCF, where she leads the university’s strategic efforts in technology infrastructure, digital transformation, and innovation to support academic and administrative excellence. 

Nationally, she is active in honors education and recently co-founded the Council of Higher Education, which serves honors colleges and programs at APLU institutions. She is active on a number of Boards both nationally and internationally. 

She has also served as an American Council of Education Fellow and Fulbright Research Scholar in Colombia. Her honors include being a Jacob K. Javits Fellow and HB Earhart Fellow. Her research focuses on economic development and political stability in developing countries.