Student Profile

Abigail Garcia Patton

Ed.D. Student CANDEL Cohort 17

Background

Abby Garcia Patton grew up in East Los Angeles and was the first in her family to pursue higher education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Spanish and a Masters in Secondary Education. She has over 17 years of experience in the field of education, starting her career as a high school English teacher and union president. 

Leadership Roles

Abby is an experienced educational consultant with expertise in bilingual, cross-cultural literacy development. Abby has served as an educational leader in many capacities, including as a director for TRIO programs at UC Berkeley, serving low-income, first-generation-to-college students, HSI Director and currently as Dean of Academic Pathways and Student Success at Chabot College. Abby is also the cofounder and chair of the HSI-Leadership Network. 

Research Interests

DEI in Hiring, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Equity and Access in Hire Education, Student Success Models, Guided Pathways, Education Policy

Recent Projects and Positions

Abby is most proud of the innovative programs she has spearheaded throughout her career that aim at reshaping systems of learning to better serve disproportionately impacted students, including creating the African American Male Pipeline Program and Womxn In Stem Education program at UC Berkeley as well as the Chabot College Summer Bridge program.  She had the great pleasure of serving as the inaugural Hispanic Serving Institutional Director at Chabot College, leading El Centro, the Adult Education Program and the Dream Center.   She currently serves as the Interim Dean of Academic Pathways and Students Success, implementing and advancing equity through a guided pathways framework.

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