2006-2007 Scholar-in-Residence

	Dr. Julie Figueroa Assistant Professor, Ethnic Studies Building Knowledge: Exploring the Chicano/Latino Undergraduate Narrative of Academic Success in Higher Education
Read Dr. Figueroa's Report

Abstract of Dr. Figueroa's research:

Due to the scarcity of literature on the experience of Latino students in higher education, it is difficult to lend viable explanations as to their shifting representation in higher education compared to Latinas. Latinas are graduating at a higher rate than their male counterpart, particularly at the undergraduate level. While this gender difference reflects an overall trend in higher education, understanding the particularities framing this phenomenon is especially crucial given the ongoing disproportional representation in the educational system compared to their population size. From this perspective, having a relatively small educated workforce within one of the nation's largest growing ethnic populations, of course, will no doubt have long-term financial repercussions according to many scholars. In this way, it is imperative to engage in a complex and critical avenue of exploring educational and schooling experiences along race, class, and gender lines even for those who are in college as they too are the most vulnerable given their graduating numbers at a state and national level, this is particularly the case for Latino undergraduates. Findings from this study can encourage revising views long held about Latinas to further assist universities, but lend itself to an overall effort to broker discussions among administrators, faculty, staff, and student to that will enable a vision of working collaboratively to create effective avenues to academically succeed for the Latino/a undergraduate community. This information may perhaps broker ideas for others who work with underrepresented and diverse communities on the campus.

About Dr. Figueroa:

Julie López Figueroa, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Ethnic Studies Department at California State University, Sacramento. Dr. Figueroa applies a sociocultural lens to examine the academic experiences of first generation minority students within the context of higher education. Working within this perspective, issues related to teaching and learning, qualitative research, and service learning are also analyzed. Most recently, Dr. Figueroa co-authored a chapter, Tracing institutional racism in higher education: Academic practices of Latino male undergraduates published in a book titled, Addressing racism: Facilitating cultural competence in mental health and educational settings.

Dr. Figueroa grew up in San Jose, CA and is one of four children born to Mexican immigrant parents, Macedonio and Maria Figueroa. She double majored in Sociology and Chicano Studies from UC Davis, received her M.A. in Education from UC Santa Cruz, and completed her doctoral degree at UC Berkeley.