Waltraud Morales joined the University of Central Florida's, USA, political science department in fall 1980, and for nearly 35 years taught graduate and undergraduate classes and seminars in international and comparative politics. In 1995, she became the first woman in the department to achieve the rank of full professor. Dr. Morales retired in October 2014 and in April 2017 was awarded the status of Professor Emerita in Political Science at the Founders’ Day Honors Convocation.