Inaugural Convening by the HSI Research Colectiva

On April 25, 2024, the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Research Colectiva held its inaugural convening at the UC Davis International Center. The HSI Research Colectiva is housed within the UC Davis School of Education and led by Dr. Marcela Cuellar, Dr. Gina Garcia, and Dr. Rebecca Covarrubias. 

The inaugural convening discussed the future of California HSIs, which are colleges and universities that enroll at least 25% Hispanic/Latino students. This convening featured research from students and college leaders across the three public systems: California Community Colleges, California State University, and University of California. By bringing together researchers, policy organizations, and policymakers, the HSI Research Colectiva aimed to envision an agenda for HSI policy and practice in California. With 170 HSIs in California, the most in any state, it is imperative that the state plan for the future of these institutions and the Latino students within them.

Event Schedule and Speaker Bios

Schedule

Presenter Bios

Pathways of (in)validation Presentation 

Lucas Alonso
I’m a fourth-year Psychology student at UCSC, as well as a first generation student and a transfer student from Cabrillo Community College. My main research interests include learning about how historical and modern forms of colonialism have shaped post-secondary institutions and how students, faculty, and staff can work towards decolonizing education. I’m interested in our current research project because it opens up a space to discuss, analyze, and transform how UCSC cares for and supports its students, particularly students from historically marginalized communities.

Paulina Avila
I’m from Orange Cove, CA, majoring in Psychology and Sociology. My research interests include first-generation students’ development of resilience and motivation within educational settings, as well as how institutions can impact their academic success. Being a first-gen student myself has shaped my cultural identity and influenced how I navigate higher education spaces. However, there are still institutional barriers and unexplored factors that directly affect students’ academic achievement and motivations. I hope to address these educational gaps through research and create supportive learning environments. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking with my friends and exploring the Santa Cruz mountains.

Michelle Barajas
I am a fourth-year first-generation college student at UCSC majoring in intensive Psychology and minoring in Latin American and Latino Studies. I was born and raised in Stockton, CA and my research interests are inspired by my upbringing, motivated to be a voice for those who are marginalized. I am interested in the factors that affect the reduction of the recidivism rate among Black and brown communities in the U.S. I am also interested in how to make the institutional system more accessible and inclusive to those that it was not built for, encouraging student success.

Janai Dagdagan
I am a fourth-year Intensive Psychology student at UCSC. I am a first-generation student, a woman of color born and raised in San Francisco. My passion for research revolves around the many barriers to navigating institutional resources that people in my community and I faced while growing up, and my desire to enact change within these difficult systems. I have been fortunate to become involved in research that reflects these experiences, analyzing barriers such as the hidden curriculum, understanding students’ sense of belonging, or analyzing intersectional differences in college preparation.

Andrew O’Brien
I’m a fourth-year Psychology and Cognitive Science double major at UCSC. My research interests involve social psychology, more specifically, concepts surrounding criminal justice reform and the treatment of those within that system and any systems that dehumanize people. What brought me to this project was noticing how little effort my campus was putting into the well-being of students, especially students who weren’t fortunate to be able to bypass those barriers. It motivates me to look deeper into those institutions and identify where they can support marginalized students. I’m hoping to continue this research in the future.

Jennifer Ochoa
I am a third-year Psychology major with a minor in Latin American and Latino studies. I am a first-generation college student and a second-generation immigrant from Mendota, CA. My research interests lie in understanding marginalized students’ experiences within the public school system and higher education. Specifically, how institutional barriers undermine student success. My motivation behind this research project stems from my experiences and those of my peers in higher education. I hope this project will help shed light on marginalized students’ challenges and how we can better support them. In my spare time, I love going to the beach.

Ejovboke Erica Okene
I am a fourth-year transfer student studying Psychology at UCSC. I am from Los Angeles but I also lived in Nigeria for four years. My research interest examines the impact of adverse environments or events on biopsychosocial development and their intersections with race and gender. I am interested in this project because my personal experiences with campus support resonate with the perspectives shared by students, motivating me to explore how institutions can better cater to the needs of marginalized students who are trying to assimilate into institutions that were not built for them.

Leslie Rodriguez
I am a third-year Psychology student at UCSC and a transfer student from Cabrillo College. I was born and raised in Watsonville, California, and was a first-generation student until I helped my mother attain her bachelor’s degree. My main research interest is learning ways to improve academic success for students with disabilities. What brought me to this research project was the ability to find ways post-secondary institutions can effectively serve diverse students who are academically underserved. My goals for the future are to go to graduate school and continue research on educational equal access for disadvantaged and diverse students.

Melissa Rodriguez
I’m a third year Psychology student with a minor in Legal Studies. I’m from Fontana, California. I’m interested in developmental psychology, including how bilingual children learn differently from monolinguals, and in forensics psychology. Conducting research on our institution has been a privilege since understanding students’ different experiences has made me passionate about the research we do in CREA. My drive to dig deeper is knowing that my younger sister will soon be entering college and I want to help change the lack of awareness about HSIs and what that means to students.

Amanda Sevilla
I am a third year Psychology and Feminist Studies double major. I am from Los Angeles, CA, specifically South Central LA. I am a first-generation, low-income, Latiné college student who is interested in reconstructing institutions of oppression into ones of equity and equal opportunity. My research interests are deeply inspired by both my intersectional identities and my hometown. I am interested in bridging psychology and feminist studies together to research the impacts of childhood obesity and uncovering the capitalist drive to keep BIPOC unhealthy and dependent on a system that does not serve us. Fun fact, I love astrology!

Finding Comunidad Presentation

Amber Gonzalez
Amber Gonzalez, Ph.D. is a tenured Professor in the Child and Adolescent Development (CHAD) program at California State University, Sacramento. Using participatory action research and mixed methods, her scholarly activities focus on exploring the influence of social support networks and institutional structures on Latine college student identity development and educational and career aspirations and motivations. In addition, she explores the ways in which students use these aspirations and motivations to ensure their success, manage failure, and persist. Her scholarly work has been published in the Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, Journal of Educational Research, and College Student Journal. In addition to her scholarly activities, she serves as an academic advisor to students of color and faculty advisor to multiple Latine student organizations. In addition to her engagement with students, she serves as an active member of the Faculty Senate at Sacramento State and has led efforts in creating programming to support and retain faculty of color. Through her multiple roles on campus, she has collaborated with various university stakeholders to address inequities within campus policies, programming, and practices. Her institutional and community service and leadership activities center on advocating for equity and social justice for students and faculty of color.

Maria Razo-Soto
My name is Maria Razo-Soto, I am a first-generation Latine graduate student attending Sacramento State University. My current research interests are on the undocumented Latine student experience in higher education and how their aspirations are supported for graduate school. My work on this HSI project as a Graduate Research Assistant has positively influenced me as a scholar in higher education. The impact we have made has allowed me to see the significance of research and how it leads to positive change to better serve our Latine students. My hope is to continue to see positive changes in higher education and prove that we have earned our place here.

Insights from HSI Research Colectiva Panel

Dr. Stephanie Aguilar-Smith
Dr. Stephanie Aguilar-Smith is an Assistant Professor of Counseling and Higher Education at the University of North Texas (UNT). She earned her Ph.D. in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education and graduate certificate in Chicano and Latino Studies from Michigan State University. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration, a B.A. in Journalism (Public Relations), a B.A. in International Affairs, and minor in Spanish from the University of Georgia. Considering the evolving postsecondary landscape, Dr. Aguilar-Smith broadly considers how policies might be more equitable across the stratified and hierarchical system of U.S. higher education. With this in mind, she situates herself as a critical organizational scholar who uses qualitative and quantitative methods to examine public and institutional-level policies toward advancing equity and justice across higher education, but especially within and among Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). In particular, much of her recent work has focused on Title V—competitive federal grants for HSIs. Before joining UNT, Dr. Aguilar-Smith worked at several universities in various areas including enrollment management, academic counseling, program development, and writing center administration. Beyond her professional background, she is the youngest child of a large Venezuelan family, a sleepy-eyed mom, a wife, and a lifelong champion of Latinx uplift.

Cynthia D. Villarreal is an Assistant Professor at Northern Arizona University in Educational Leadership. She holds a Ph.D. in Urban Education Policy from the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. She is a fronteriza from El Paso, Texas studying the borderlands of higher education, Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), organizational culture, equity in decision-making, and Chicana feminisms in higher education. As a qualitative researcher and creative non-fiction writer, Dr. Villarreal believes in the importance of sharing countertestimonios to critique and transform higher education. She uses interdisciplinary theories and research to inform her approach to the study of HSIs and how they serve their Latine students by interrogating the policies, structures, and culture within colleges and universities. She is also a Racial Equity Coach for the University of Southern California Race and Equity Center providing support to community colleges navigating racial equity change projects on campus. She is a mamischolar living in the Sonoran Desert (Phoenix, Arizona) with her two children and husband.

Marialexia Zaragoza was born and raised in the Inland Empire, and is the daughter of immigrant parents from Jalisco and Michoacán, Mexico; she is a sister, a TiaNina, and an advocate for her Latine comunidades. As a first-generation and low-income student, her identities and experiences impact her practitioner and scholarly works. Marialexia earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in Chicana/o studies from California State University, Fullerton, where she was also a McNair Scholar. She is currently a Ph.D. student in the Higher Education program at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research focuses on understanding how Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) can better serve their students through their implementation of High Impact Learning Practices, as well as analyzing the ways in which Latine students change, create, and influence institutional policy. Additionally, Marialexia currently serves as the Project Analyst for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Hispanic Serving Institution initiative.

Transformation Teams Leading for Change

Dr. Angélica Garcia
Dr. Angélica Garcia is an educational leader with a demonstrated commitment to improving access, equity and student success in higher education. A fellow with the Aspen Institute for New Presidents, the National Community College Hispanic Council, and the UC Davis Wheelhouse Institute, Dr. Garcia is committed to equity-minded leadership. Dr. Garcia earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership at San Francisco State University, a Master’s in Social Work at San Diego State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal and Civic Studies at Saint Mary’s College of California. Dr. Garcia was appointed the Superintendent/President of Santa Rosa Junior College) SRJC beginning July 1, 2023, a community college known for its commitment to students, high transfer rates, and innovative career education programs. Dr. Garcia’s leadership underscores the honor and pride that SRJC has in being designated as an Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), which advances the learning and development for Latinx students throughout Sonoma County. She recognizes that this designation calls upon SRJC to serve the needs, career and academic goals, as well as create a pathway for access to higher education for diverse student populations.

Dr. Gina Ann Garcia
Dr. Gina Ann Garcia is a professor in the School of Education at UC Berkeley. Her research centers on issues of equity and justice in higher education with an emphasis on understanding how Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) embrace and enact an organizational identity for serving minoritized populations. She explores the experiences of administrators, faculty, and staff at HSIs and the outcomes of students attending these institutions. As an equity-minded scholar, she tends to the ways that race and racism have shaped institutions of higher education. See complete bio.

Robert Holcomb
Robert Holcomb currently serves as Vice President of Academic Affairs/Assistant Superintendent at Santa Rosa Junior College, overseeing all instructional programs, learning support areas, and educational initiatives. Previously, Dr. Holcomb worked as an instructional dean, Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Director, and tenured professor, teaching coursework in English as a Second Language (ESL) over a nine-year span at Rio Hondo College, in Southern California. His academic interests include literacy development, second language acquisition, Latin American literature, and prose analysis. Dr. Holcomb holds a Ph.D. in Educational Studies from Claremont Graduate University, a master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of Southern California. He is an active member of key professional communities, including the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), Alliance for Hispanic-Serving Institution Educators (AHSIE), and California Community College Organización de Latinx (COLEGAS). Dr. Holcomb remains privileged to work toward equity in higher education with the support of his wife and four children.

Dr. Flor Huerta
Flor Huerta (she/her/ella) is the Interim Dean of Counseling & Student Development at Fullerton College. She has worked at Fullerton College for 25 years in various roles including Classified, tenured faculty and management. As a first-generation, California Community College transfer, she has centered her professional career dedicated to advancing initiatives to foster equitable practices, enact servingness to innovate and design support systems for student success. She has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, a master’s degree in Counseling with an emphasis in Career Development and a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership in Higher Education.

Dr. Cynthia Olivo
Dr. Cynthia Olivo, an established leader in higher education, began serving as the 10th president of Fullerton College in January 2023. Dr. Olivo’s career spans nearly three decades, serving as a champion for equity, inclusion and academic excellence for students. Her time in educational leadership is marked by a student-centered philosophy that aligns with Fullerton College’s mission to empower students to achieve their educational goals. Dr. Olivo personally identifies with the challenges faced by Fullerton College students and the broader community. Her personal history as the granddaughter of migrant farmworkers, the daughter of a single mother, a first-generation college student and third-generation Chicana, deeply inform her empathetic and equity-driven approach to leadership in higher education.

Connecting HSI Research to Policy

Wil Del Pilar
Wil Del Pilar, Ph.D., serves as Ed Trust’s Senior Vice President. In this role, Wil spearheads Ed Trust’s mission to highlight inequities and outline solutions in order to improve access, success, affordability, and completion in higher education for low-income students and students of color. Prior to joining Ed Trust, Wil served in Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s administration as deputy secretary of postsecondary and higher education, where he developed and implemented the state’s strategic vision for higher education. Before joining Governor Wolf’s team, Wil had experience in the Pennsylvania Department of Education, working as an executive assistant in the state’s higher education office. In this role, he managed an array of services for the state, including the College Access Challenge Grant and the Pennsylvania Information Management System. Wil holds a doctorate in higher education/higher education administration from The Pennsylvania State University, a master’s degree from California State University-Dominguez Hills, and a bachelor’s degree from Chapman University.

Facilitators 

Rosy Escandón, M.Ed. and Mark A. López, Ph.D., Ixe Advising
Rosy Escandón and Mark A. López are the multi-passionate individuals behind Ixe Advising (pronounced ee-sheh).

With over 40 years of experience in private and non-profit education spaces, Rosy and Mark have made a significant impact in various educational settings. They are knowledgeable in addressing technology integration in classrooms, fulfilling diversity, equity, and inclusion needs, fostering professional learning communities, and developing strategic plans and organizational leadership within diverse education organizations and campuses.

Both Rosy and Mark have worked extensively with Hispanic Serving Institutions and Historical Black Colleges and Universities, and possess a deep understanding of inclusive excellence and education policy. Throughout their careers, they have led small to large-scale strategies and provided oversight for organizational, state, and federal budgets.

They are committed to education, equity and anti-racist policies and practices. They are guided by the wisdom of their ancestors and fueled by their passion for education.