Kristine Jan Cruz Espinoza

Kristine Jan Cruz Espinoza, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education in the School of Education. Her research interests revolve around racial and institutional classifications (e.g., Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), especially dual- and multi-designated MSIs, including Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and race data). Prior to her doctoral journey, she worked full-time as the Student Affairs Officer in the UCLA Asian American Studies Department, where she was part of the latter advocacy effort for the Pilipino Studies minor (the first in the University of California system) and coordinated UCLA’s inaugural Ethnic and Indigenous Studies Welcome.

Espinoza is a Faculty Fellow with the MSI Data Project at UCLA. She earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education and a Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation and Assessment at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Proudly from Carson, California, she was a community college transfer student from Long Beach City College to the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, where she earned her B.A. in Biology, B.A. in Anthropology, and M.Ed. in Educational Administration.

Education

Ph.D., Higher Education, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2024
Dissertation: Let’s Get in (Racial) Formation: A Three-Paper Exploration of Dual- and Multiple-Designated Minority-Serving Institutions
Committee: Drs. Blanca E. Rincón (Chair), Federick Ngo, Steven Nelson, Mark Padoongpatt, Robert T. Teranishi

Graduate Certificate, Program Evaluation and Assessment, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2022

M.Ed., Educational Administration (Higher Education), University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, 2015

B.A., Biology and B.A., Anthropology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, 2013

General Education, Long Beach City College, 2008–2010

Academic Appointments

2026 – Present: Assistant Professor, Higher Education, School of Education, University of California, Davis

2024 – 2026: Assistant Professor, Counseling and College Student Personnel, Department of Counselor Education, Graduate School of Education, California Lutheran University

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

1. Espinoza, K. J. C., Nguyen, M. H., Laderman, S., & Sherman, A. (2026). Minority-Serving Institutions and the Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds: Federal funding allocations and policy considerations. Education Finance and Policy.
2. Espinoza, K. J. C., Rincón, B. E., Drake, B. M., Harbin, J. J., & Ethelbah, K. (2025). Oceania in the desert: A QuantCrit analysis of the (under)counting of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Students at an AANAPISI-HSI. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 18(2), 342-365.
3. Ngo, F. J., Espinoza, K. J. C., Lee, D. E., & Teranishi, R. T. (2025). “We will come to you”: Serving newcomer immigrants and English learners at an AANAPISI community college. Innovative Higher Education, 50(3), 893-918.
4. Espinoza, K. J. C., & Rincón, B. E. (2023). Color-evasive/conscious? A content analysis of how engineering faculty discuss race and racism in a U.S.-based equity-focused STEM professional development program. Education Sciences, 13(3), 1-11.
5. Ngo, F., & Espinoza, K. J. C. (2023). “Now we come here, we feel it”: Experiences of anti-Asian racism among community college students in ESOL programs. Community College Journal of Research and Practice.
6. Wong, J., Poon, O., Dizon, J. P. M., & Espinoza, K. J. C. (2022). We won’t go back: Asian Americans and racial justice after affirmative action. Amerasia Journal, 48(3), 190–200.
7. Espinoza, K. J. C., & Watson, R. T. (2022). In the hands of students: The charge of a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) student council at a dual-designated Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution and Hispanic-Serving Institution. AAPI Nexus Journal: Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders Policy, Practice and Community, 18(1-2), 35-56.
8. Nguyen, M. H., Espinoza, K. J., Gogue, D. T.-L., Dinh, D. M. (2021). AANAPISIs in context and practice: Strategies for serving Asian Pacific Islander Desi American students. About Campus, 26(1), 5-9.  
9. Alcantar, C. M., Rincón, B., & Espinoza, K. J. (2020). In a state of becoming: How institutions communicate Asian American and Pacific Islander- and Latinx-servingness through campus artifacts. Association of Mexican American Educators Journal, 14(3), 104-119.  

Policy Reports and Briefs

1. Espinoza, K. J. C. (2026). In support of AB 2374 to establish California’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander-Serving Institution designation. Scholars Strategy Network.
2. Espinoza, K. J. C., & Aguilar-Smith, S. (2025). Intersecting classifications: The landscape of dual- and multi-designated Hispanic-Serving Institutions. American Council of Education.
3. Nguyen, M. H., Espinoza, K. J. C., San Nicolas, O., Obaidul, S., Gogue, D. T.-L., Rahman, Q. A., Neilson, P., Yamagata-Noji, A., Cuenza-Uvas, A., Gota, J. C., & Tomaneng, R. M. (2025). The impact of AANAPISI funding: Strengthening higher education for AA&NHPI students. Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education.
4. Espinoza, K. J. C. (2024). Overview of Minority-Serving Institutions in the United States. State Higher Education Executive Officers Association.
5. Nguyen, M. H., Gogue, D. T.-L., Espinoza, K. J. C., Neilson, P. A., & Venturanza, R. J. (2023). Celebrating 15 years of Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions: Exploring how colleges and universities become AANAPISIs; serve Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Students; and institutionalize their ins. APIA Scholars.
6. Nguyen, M. H., Gogue, D. T.-L., Espinoza, K. J. C., Neilson, P., Venturanza, R. J., Ajinkya, J., & Mendiola, F. (2022). Research and policy brief: AANAPISI growth and impact. APIA Scholars.
7. Nguyen, M. H., Espinoza, K. J., Gogue, D. T.-L., & Dinh, D. M. (2020). Looking to the next decade: Strengthening Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions through policy and practice. National Council of Asian Pacific Americans.  

Invited Book Chapters

1. Espinoza, K. J. C. (Under Review). Pinay faculty rising: An AsianCrit kuwentuhan on navigating race and power in the academy. In Q. Zhang-Wu & J. Kim (Eds.), Asian women scholars in higher education: Autoethnographic reflections on language, gender, and race. Routledge.
2. Gogue, D. T.-L., Espinoza, K. J. C., Lim, C., & Asuega, T. (Under Review). Beyond the racial category: Understanding the diversity of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in AANAPISIs. In J. C. Garvey, J. C. Harris, D. R. Means, R. J. Perez, & C. J. Porter (Eds.), Case studies for student development theory: Advancing social justice & inclusion in higher education (2nd Ed.). Routledge.
3. Espinoza, K. J. C., & Wang, A. C. (2025). Centering community: Toward racially and culturally responsive leadership at Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions. In G. R. Serna, F. M. Guido, & G. Pulido (Eds.), Administration, finance, and budgeting in higher education and student affairs: Integrating theory, research, and practice (pp. 106–121). Charles C. Thomas Publisher, LTD.
4. Nguyen, M. H., Gogue, D. T.-.L., Espinoza, K. J., Duncan, B. C., Venturanza, R., & Dinh, D. (2024). An Overview of Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) as Critical Sites for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA&NHPI) Students in Higher Education. In T. J. Davis, P. A. Sasso, & S. Price-Williams, Institutional diversity in American postsecondary education (pp. 131–143). Information Age Publishing.

Working Papers

1. Castillo, W., Teng, D. T., & Espinoza, K. J. C. (2026). Hmong but not Asian, Sāmoan but not Pacific Islander: Tracing the ECLS-K racial data (mis)classification journey. (EdWorkingPaper: 26-1486). Annenberg Institute at Brown University:

Professional Affiliations

• American College Personnel Association (ACPA)
• Association for Asian American Studies (AAAS)
• Association of Education Research (AERA)
• Association for Institutional Research (AIR)
• Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE)
• NASPA Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education