Welcome to the Project MALES Faculty and Research Affiliates page where you can learn more about our outstanding affiliates from institutions across the nation.
The goal of the Project MALES Faculty and Research Affiliates Program is to raise the visibility of our affiliates’ research on young males of color by amplifying their work to our growing national network of P-16 practitioners and administrators. Project MALES is committed to cultivating and amplifying the work of scholars whose research agenda is well aligned with the goals of our various research and mentoring initiatives.
Current Faculty and Research Affiliates include emerging and established scholars whose research focuses on the educational experiences of males of color. To learn more visit their bios below.
Project MALES Faculty & Research Affiliates
Melissa Abeyta, Ed.D. | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Success of formerly incarcerated minoritized students in postsecondary education, particularly in the community college context; anti-deficit lens
Elvira J. Abrica, Ph.D. | University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Associate Professor
Research Interests: Racial equity, community colleges, STEM, Institutional research and assessment
Tracy Arámbula Ballysingh, Ph.D. | University of Vermont
Associate Professor
Research Interests: Diversity, Access, and Equity; Educational Policy; Higher Education; History, Philosophy, Sociology of Education; School Climate; School Governance; Social Justice; Student Affairs
Derrick R. Brooms, Ph.D. | University of Tennessee
Professor
Research Interests: Educational equity, pathways to and through college, men of color initiatives, college engagement, peer relationships, identity
Kaleb Briscoe, Ph.D. | Mississippi State University
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Critical theoretical frameworks; campus racial climate; challenging anti-Blackness and non-performative rhetoric; disrupting whiteness and white supremacy;
Beth E. Bukoski, Ph.D. | Virginia Commonwealth University
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Social justice, inclusion, and diversity in higher education. How organizations and systems influence the experiences of faculty, students, and staff from marginalized groups with a focus on intersectionality identities (e.g., gender, sexuality, race. etc.). Graduate student socialization and graduate program development higher education, student affairs, educational administration, and leadership. Teaching research methods (especially qualitative methods) to scholar-practitioners. Qualitative methodologies and feminist, critical, and post-structural theories and analytic techniques.
Jorge Burmicky, Ph.D. | Howard University
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Leadership pipeline in higher education, with an emphasis on racially minoritized leaders; policy and practice for men of color; men of color programs and initiatives
Nolan Cabrera, Ph.D. | University of Arizona
Professor
Research Interests: Race and Education, Higher Education, Critical Race Theory, Theories of Inequality, Oppression, and Stratification
Lazaro Camacho, Ph.D. | The University of Rhode Island
Faculty of Practice
Email | Faculty Page
Research Interests: Access and equity; social justice, oppression, and privilege; Latino men; masculinity; mentorship; community college workforce development
Roderick L. Carey, Ph.D. | University of Delaware
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Adolescent Black and Latino boys and young men in society and schools, urban education, Black boy mattering, college-going school cultures, postsecondary future selves
Juan F. Carrillo, Ph.D. | Arizona State University
Associate Professor
Research Interests: Latino/a, Chicano/a Education; Latino Males (k-12 & Higher Ed.); Social and Cultural Foundations of Education; Anthropology of Education; Cultural Studies in Education; Critical Pedagogy
Joshua Childs, Ph.D. | The University of Texas at Austin
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Interorganizational Networks, School attendance, interscholastic athletics, computer science education
José Del Real Viramontes, Ph.D. | University of California, Riverside
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Latinx community college students, Latinx community college transfer students, vertical transfer, transfer sending culture, transfer receptive culture, community cultural wealth, spatial transfer receptive culture
Hermen Díaz III, Ph.D. | SUNY – Buffalo State College
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Transactional relationship between the campus environment and Latinx/o men; belonging, equity, and liberation
Antonio Duran, Ph.D. | Arizona State University
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Critical frameworks (e.g., intersectionality, queer of color critique, quare theory) to complicate research on college student identity and to comprehend how institutional structures impact those with multiple minoritized identities.
Ismael Fajardo, Ph.D. | University of Washington, Seattle
Adjunct Faculty & Research Leader
Research Interests: P-16 programs and policy (e.g., K-12 preparation, college transitions, and success) ;Diversity and Equity; Mixed method research; STEM identity, ecological, student development, and critical race theories; Community-based research
Crystal Garcia, Ph.D. | University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Minoritized college students, critical and post-structural frameworks, social justice and equity in higher education, campus environments, students affairs, sorority and fraternity life
Hugo García, Ph.D. | Texas Tech University
Associate Professor
Research Interests: Community colleges, international higher education, dual credit, access to higher education
Claudia García-Louis, Ph.D. | University of Texas at San Antonio
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: AfroLatinx Students, Race & ethnicity in higher education, Intersectionality & sense of belonging, Access & equity for first generation students, Young men of color and their educational pathways
Frank Harris III, Ph.D. | San Diego State UniversityProfessor
Research Interests: Student Development in Higher Education, College Men and Masculinities, Qualitative Methods of Inquiry, The Social Construction of Race and Gender in Higher Education, Racial/Ethnic Disparities in College Student Outcomes, and Intercollegiate Athletics
Deryl Hatch-Tocaimaza, Ph.D. | University of Nebraska-LincolnAssociate Professor
Research Interests: College environments, campus climate, whole institution approaches for sustainability and justice, culturally engaging practices, the relation of climate justice, place, and land to diversity, equity, and justice in higher education
Edwin Hernandez, Ph.D. | California State University, San Bernardino
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Underserved and Underrepresented Students; K-20 Educational Pipeline; School Culture; School Counseling; Alternative Education
Susana H. Hernandez, Ph.D. | Northern Arizona University
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Developmental education, Community colleges, Men of Color program/policies, Faculty of Color and sense of safety
Adrian H. Huerta, Ph.D. | University of Southern California
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Boys and Young Men of Color, College Access and (In)equity, Gang-associated Youth and Adults, High School to College Transition, Student Parents in Higher Education
Luis Jimenez Inoa, Ph.D. | Vassar College
Associate Dean of the College, Student Living and Wellness
Email | Faculty Page
Research Interests: Latino students and the impact of sports participation
Veronica Jones Baldwin, Ph.D. | University of North Texas
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Men of color in higher education, critical discourse analysis, critical race theory, diversity and equity issues related to marginalized students of color, student engagement and activism
Gilberto P. Lara, Ph.D. | The University of Texas at San Antonio
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Latina/o identity, gender studies, bilingual pedagogies, culturally responsive children’s literature and social justice education.
Raul Leon, Ph.D. | University of Wisconsin-Madison
Assistant Vice Provost for Student Engagement and Scholarship Programs
Research Interests: Chief Diversity Officer, Diversity Committees, Males of Color, Study Abroad
Julie López Figueroa, Ph.D. | California State University, Sacramento
Professor
Research Interests: Academic Success/Retention of First Generation Students in Higher Education, Qualitative Research, and Teaching and Learning in Diverse Contexts
Charles Lu, Ph.D. | Johns Hopkins University
Associate Dean, Diversity & Inclusion
Research Interests: Science Identity, Study Abroad, Campus Safety
Carlos Martinez-Cano, Ph.D. | University of Washington
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Literacy, Science, Psychology, Sociolinguistics, and Ethnic Studies.
David G. Martinez, Ph.D. | University of South Carolina
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Critical Theory, Education Finance Policy and Equity of Educational Opportunity. Specifically, he examines the impact of federal, state, and local fiscal policy on inter/ intra-district fiscal capacity in low-income, ethnically and linguistically diverse, marginalized, LatinX and Native American communities through the lens of social justice and equity.
Eligio Martinez Jr., Ph.D. | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Intersection of race, class and gender, middle school education, community colleges, transition to higher education, male success initiatives
Brian L. McGowen, Ph.D. | American University
Associate Professor
Research Interests: Gender, race, and postsecondary educational outcomes; and college teaching and learning.
Jason Mendez, Ph.D. | University of Pittsburgh
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Urban Education, Latin@ Studies (emphasis on Puerto Rican identities), Cultural Studies, Critical Race Studies, Arts as Social Justice, Critical Pedagogy, Educational Technology, Qualitative Research Methods
Michael E. Nava, Ph.D. | University of Texas at Austin
Faculty Director and Associate Professor of Practice, Executive Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership Program
Research Interests: Research Interests: Developing data-driven comprehensive academic support programs aimed at serving first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented college students and minority males at institutions of higher education
Wilson K. Okellow, Ph.D. | Pennsylvania State University
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Affective and embodied pedagogies, Black studies and Black feminisms, Critical masculinities, Critical qualitative research, Embodiment, Identity formation, Knowledge production, Racialized trauma and stress
Guillermo Ortega, Ph.D. | Idaho State University
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Intercollegiate Athletics, College Athletes, Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Latinx Students, Latinx College Athletes, Latinx Leadership, College Access, Persistence, Qualitative and Quantitative Methods
Ray Ostos, Ed.D. | Maricopa Community Colleges
District Director
Research Interests: Minority male students, Latino student success, special population programs, basic needs support
Taryn Ozuna Allen, Ph.D. | Texas Christian University
Associate Professor
Research Interests: Educational experiences of traditionally under-represented students, particularly Latino students, as they access, transition, and enroll in higher education
Oscar E. Patrón, Ph.D. | Indiana University
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Issues of Race, Gender, and Sexuality among Latina/o students in higher education; men of color; and resilience through critical approaches.
David Perez II, Ph.D. | Syracuse University
Associate Professor
Research Interests: Student Success, Selective Institutions, Trauma-Informed Praxes
Spencer Platt, Ph.D. | University of South Carolina
Associate Professor
Research Interests: Black and Hispanic students and faculty in STEM fields; Black male faculty and doctoral students; doctoral education; doctoral socialization; qualitative methods
Luis Ponjuán, Ph.D. | Texas A&M University
Associate Professor
Research Interests: Access and equity in higher education for underrepresented students and faculty members of color
Richard Reddick, Ed.D. | The University of Texas at Austin
Senior Vice Provost and Professor, Program in Higher Education Leadership
Research Interests: Cultural taxation, mentoring in higher education, faculty recruitment and hiring
Juan A. Ríos Vega, Ph.D. | Bradley University
Associate Professor
Research Interests: K-16 Latinx students’ education, teacher preparation programs, Jotería studies, Queer/Cuir studies in Latin America
Cristóbal Rodríguez, Ph.D. | Arizona State University
Associate Professor, Educational Leadership & Policy
Research Interests: Access and Equity across the educational pipeline and the implications for policy and leadership
Sarah Rodriguez, Ph.D. | Virginia Tech University
Associate Professor, Engineering Education
Research Interests: Latino men, identity, masculinity, community college, transfer, qualitative, STEM, engineering, computing
Cristobal Salinas Jr., Ph.D. | Florida Atlantic University
Associate Professor
Research Interests: The economic, social, and political context of educational opportunities for historically marginalized communities, with an emphasis on Latin* students
Bernadette Sánchez, Ph.D. | DePaul University
Professor
Email | Faculty Page
Research Interests: Role of formal and natural mentoring relationships in youth’s educational experiences, the resilience of marginalized youth, and the role of racial and ethnic processes, such as racial discrimination and racial/ethnic identity, in adolescent development
Nydia C. Sánchez, Ph.D. | University of San Diego
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Qualitative methodologies and critical frameworks to interrogate the contexts and relationships that shape postsecondary access and success for Latinas/os, first-generation college students, and community college students
Pietro A. Sasso, Ph.D. | Steven F. Austin State University
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: College experience (student involvement, multiraciality, masculinity), student success (academic advising, student persistence), and educational equity across co-curricular spaces. He also centers issues of compensatory and protest masculinities among college men through social constructivist and feminist poststructuralism lenses. He draws from critical multiracial theory (MultiCrit; Harris, 2016) and intersectional methods to foreground liminality across different marginalized or historically underrepresented student populations within their co-curricular spaces. These include student involvement as well as leadership, bridge programs, residential education, or transition programs.
Shawn S. Savage, Ph.D. | University of North Carolina Wilmington
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Curriculum, Black males, teacher education, leadership education, doctoral education, higher education policy and practices
Michael V. Singh, Ph.D. | University of California, Davis
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Urban schooling, the political economy of race and education, neoliberal multiculturalism, Latino masculinity, intersectionality, Latino male teachers, critical and abolitionist pedagogy
Ryan Sutton, Ph.D. | The University of Texas at Austin
Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Research Interests: Mental Health, Resiliency, Trauma, Socioemotional Intelligence, Race Based Stress, Bias
Mellie Torres, Ph.D. | Nellie Mae Education Foundation
Senior Manager, Learning Evaluation, and Research
Research Interests: Education of Latino/a students, Race, Ethnicity, Community and School Partnerships, Program Evaluation; Sociology of Education; Mixed Methods
Marissa Vasquez, Ed.D. | San Diego State University
Associate Professor
Research Interests: The pre/post-transitional experiences of Latina/o/x community college transfer students to four-year institutions; understanding the experiences of Latina/o/x students in college settings from multiple perspectives; exploring the role of community colleges in creating equitable environments for disproportionately impacted students.
Adriana Villavicencio, Ph.D. | University of California-Irvine
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: K-12 education policy and practice
J. Luke Wood, Ph.D. | San Diego State University
Associate Professor
Research Interests: On factors affecting the success of boys and men of color education, with a specific focus on community colleges. In particular, his research examines contributors (e.g., social, psychological, academic, environmental, institutional) to positive outcomes.
Soua Xiong, Ph.D. | California State University, Fresno
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Southeast Asian Americans, male students of color, college student success, and support services for underrepresented students
