The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the process of selecting a college major for African American and Latino male students and whether these decisions influenced their sense of belonging and development of self-efficacy, as it relates to persistence and retention at a four-year public institution in the northeast region of the…

As the Latino population continues to rise, so does the need for education among Latinas with dependents within the community. Previous researchers have shown that Latinas have low college completion rates, which decreases their access to a better economic future (housing, health, living conditions). Thus, there is a pressing need to increase the…

This qualitative narrative inquiry research study was to examine and understand Latino males' experiences, stories, and motivating factors that contributed successfully attaining higher educational leadership (President, Provost, Dean, Professor, Administrator/Director) positions. The 11 participants in the study were derived from a purposeful…

Latinx men continue to be marginalized in higher education, and more research is needed to understand how to retain them using anti-deficit frameworks (Cook et al., 2012). Studies have investigated caballerismo as a protective factor for LatinX men. Caballerismo is defined by egalitarian beliefs, affiliation, positive family relationships, and…

The issue that this study addresses is the lack of Chicana/os in higher education leadership positions. In response to this issue, the purpose of the study is to understand the experiences and draw perspectives from successful non-faculty Chicana/o higher education leaders to identify the individual, cultural, organizational, and environmental…

Librarianship as a profession in America is 88% white, according to the Diversity Counts survey conducted by the American Library Association in 2009 (ALA, 2012). The United States' White and not Hispanic/Latinx population is 60.7% according to 2017 Census estimates (United States Census Bureau). The fundamental unfairness of this power dynamic…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between (a) beliefs and actions of a culturally responsive school leader and (b) opportunity gaps for Latinx students in a predominantly Latinx school. The study was conducted at a Title I suburban elementary school in the Southeastern Region of Texas. Using a qualitative case study…

Teacher-parent relationships and active family engagement are essential components to positive outcomes for students with disabilities. Latinx students are an increasingly growing student population; however, there are limited studies about the experiences unique to Latinx parents concerning family engagement and home-school partnerships in public…

Increasing the racial and gender diversity of the teacher and school leader workforce in public schools has been the focus of policy efforts in dozens of states. Using administrative longitudinal data for all Texas public schools over a 20-year period, this dissertation consists of three chapters examining the role of relational demography and…

Women of color who pursue careers in higher education administration face a double bind of navigating institutional barriers wrought by sexism and racism while simultaneously taking on the crucial work of mentoring, advocating, and caring for students of color. This multi-method study drew on organizational support theory (Eisenberger et al.,…

Increased diversification of the collegiate student body has given rise to minority serving institutions with a significant growth of Hispanic Serving institutions and amplifies the need for greater institutional accountability to create focused efforts that facilitate college persistence and success of Latinx students. This qualitative study…

Objective: The purpose of this study is to highlight the type of community cultural wealth developed and used by Latina/o community college transfer students who encountered limited pre-transfer assistance and unreceptive cultures at their transfer institutions. Method: This study took place at Southwest State University (SSU), a Predominantly…

This study delves into disparities in undergraduate research participation among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx students using large-scale, multi-institutional data. The study's focus is guided by Intersectionality Theory and Quantitative Critical Theory, examining how race, social identities, academic majors, and institutional…

Understanding achievement and discipline trajectories of Latinx students is critical given disproportionate dropout/pushout rates of Latinx students from schools across the U.S. Using a Critical Race Theory framework, the current study examined longitudinal associations amongst a sample of (N = 1672) Latinx youths' school readiness at kindergarten…

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to greater depression and anxiety among college students. Social support may alleviate this risk. We examined how social support from family, friends, and romantic partners may influence internalizing psychopathology outcomes associated with COVID-19-related stressful events. Participants: Participants were…