This dissertation presents results from two case studies conducted in undergraduate mathematics departments at Minority Serving Institutions with majority Hispanic identifying student bodies. These mathematics departments were identified as being especially committed to equitable and inclusive instruction and supporting positive experiences among…

Although college enrollment rates among Black and Latinx students have risen, inequities in graduation rates across racial and ethnic groups persist. Guided by the integration of strength-based frameworks, the proposed manuscript will discuss how experiential learning and teaching may serve a dual purpose: helping students enact social change…

In this paper, we discuss the case studies of two professional development (PD) participants: Nhung Tran and Stella Miller. This data comes from an NSF-funded grant studying inquiry and equity within mathematics instruction at a two-year college. We analyze participant conceptualizations of equity using Gutiérrez' (2009) equity framework. By…

In this article, the author explores how higher education and student affairs (HESA) administrators can conceptualize servingness by understanding the experiences of Black students, administrators, and faculty at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). The author uses an organizational conflict lens to propose recommendations that could support HESA…

Black and Hispanic students have lower achievement than White students due to segregation, discrimination, and poverty. If these disadvantages also lead to negative academic attitudes, Black and Hispanic students may disengage from school, compounding the effects of low achievement and limited opportunities. Therefore, my dissertation is organized…

In a prospective cohort study of Latinx adolescents living in an agricultural county in California, we examined perceptions of federal immigration policy and its effects on community and individual wellbeing. From May to December 2017, 565 youth responded to an open-ended item integrated into ongoing surveys. Median age was 14 (range 13-16 years),…

Guided by a strength-based framework and counter-storying lens, we use a qualitative case study approach (Cook-Sather, 2020; Cook-Sather & Motz-Storey, 2016; Lechuga-Peña & Lechuga, 2018) to explore students' and instructors' experiences with a students as learners and teachers (SaLT) partnership program at a Hispanic Serving Institution…

California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) was awarded a five-year grant, "An Equitable Pathway to In-Demand STEM Careers", that began in Fall 2021 to create and expand a streamlined pathway for Hispanic students to pursue their educational and career goals with servingness culture support. In the first year, the grant team has…

While changing demographics reflect an increasingly multicultural and multilingual U.S. population, Latinos continue to experience under-representation and lack of recognition inconsistent for such a growing segment of the U.S. population. Latinos face a myriad of inequities across systems that impact early childhood development and that continue…

Under-represented women of color in the STEM pipeline face myriad structural and cultural challenges in these male-dominated fields. Given this context, it is important to examine how these young women employ gendered discourses as they navigate their STEM majors. We report findings from interviews with 16 Hispanic women college students…

The brief first presents new facts on the extraordinary segregation of Black and Latino students in the state's public schools. Second, it shows that those groups are doubly segregated by race and poverty at the most educationally unsuccessful schools. These children are, on average, from families with far lower income and wealth and with parents…

Scholars have developed culturally responsive frameworks and interventions to support educators as they aim to create inclusive and equitable classroom environments. Despite the number of frameworks on the topic, research on culturally responsive practices (CRPs) is limited by the lack of clear definitions or evidence on the effectiveness of…

Leaders from marginalized groups disproportionately shoulder emotional labor resulting from the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in higher education. This emotional burden can lead to stress and mental health consequences. Institutions bear the responsibility of addressing the emotional burden. This multiple-case qualitative study…

Background/Context: Students designated as English Learners (ELs) account for 10.4 percent of all students nationwide but have historically been provided unequal access to educational resources (Gándara et al., 2003; National Center for Education Statistics, 2023). Further, education policies are often blind to ELs' strengths and challenges,…

Even before the pandemic, systemic racial and social inequities meant that Latinx students had less access to high-quality instruction and teaching than white students, were tracked into less rigorous courses, were met with lower expectations, and ultimately experienced opportunity gaps that hindered educational and economic development (U.S.…