2025 AAHHE National Conference
Reconciling Our Past, Challenging the Present, Shaping Equitable Futures: Advancing the Next 20 Years of Latinx/a/o Communities
Metropolitan State University of Denver, Denver, CO
March 7-8, 2025

Conference At-A-Glance

 

Pre-conference Events ~ In-person Only (all times are in U.S. Mountain Standard Time Zone)

Friday, March 7, 2025

8:00 AM – 11:00 AM MST

The Latino Student Success Institute
Sponsored and Presented by the Diana Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success at the University of Texas at El Paso | Baerreson Ballroom

Sponsored by 

As Hispanics are the nation’s second largest racial/ethnic group, serving them well in higher education is essential to building this country’s workforce and well-being. In this Institute, a nationally engaged group of scholars and administrators based at the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP), a leading Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), will facilitate a learning opportunity for leaders committed to advancing Hispanics’ thriving and success in higher education. In sharing effective strategies for Hispanic student success with one another, including those based on HSI Hispanic servingness, participants will leave the Institute with a renewed sense of community, commitment, and understanding of how to enact culturally affirming approaches to elevate their students’ thriving.

Presenters:

Dr. Anne-Marie Núñez, Executive Director, Diana Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success

Dr. Azuri Gonzalez, UT Regents’ Endowed Distinguished Director, Diana Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success

Dr. Gary Edens, Professor of Practice and Retired Vice President for Student Affairs 

Dr. Jesus Cisneros, Department Chair, Associate Professor and Doctoral Program Director, Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations

Dr. Louie Rodriguez, Vice Provost for Professional Development, Engagement, and Strategic Initiatives

Dr. Erin Doran, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Foundations

Dr. Heather Smith, Associate Vice President for Advising and Student Services

8:00 AM – 11:00 AM MST

Community College Institute
Jordan Student Success Building Classroom 200

Moderator: Marissa Vasquez, EdD, San Diego State University

8:00 AM – 11:00 AM MST

Latinas and Leadership in Higher Education: “Navegando Entre Fronteras: Latina-Centered Leadership” | Baerreson Ballroom

This pre-conference institute centers the unique assets of and opportunities for early- and mid- career Latina leaders in higher education. Discussion will focus on navigating identity challenges, harnessing a mujerista mindset and drawing upon cultural values to embody authentic leadership practices. This institute will be highly interactive, including the application of resonant leadership skills through a review of case scenarios.

Presenters:

Patricia Arredondo, EdD, President, Arredondo Advisory Group, Past Chair, AAHHE

Azara Santiago Rivera, PhD, Professor Emerita, Merrimack College, Consultant, Immediate Past Chair, AAHHE

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM MST

On-Site Visit to Homies Unidos Denver

Homies Unidos Denver is dedicated to ending violence and promoting peace through comprehensive gang prevention and intervention. They advocate for human rights, support immigrant communities, and empower youth and families to realize their full potential. By providing mentorship, skill-building, and community outreach, they strive to build a safe, just, and healthy society where individuals are supported and resilient. Through their mission, they are committed to creating positive change and fostering a community where every person has the opportunity to thrive. 

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM MST

AAHHE Board of Directors & AAHHE Fellows Brunch (by invitation only)

Room: Jordan Student Success Building Room 200

Pre-Conference Attendee Lunch

Room: Jordan Student Success Building Room 209

12:00 PM – 12:40 PM MST

Caucus 1 | Jordan Student Success Building Room 200

Caucus 2 | Jordan Student Success Building Room 202

Caucus 3 | Jordan Student Success Building Room 203

Caucus 4 | Jordan Student Success Building 204

Caucus 5 | Jordan Student Success Building 205

12:50 PM – 1:00 PM MST

Break 

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM MST

Welcome Program, Tomas Rivera Lecture & ETS ODC Awards | Tivoli Turnhalle

Keynote:
Xóchitl C. Chávez, PhD, Associate Professor, UC Riverside Department of Music, Faculty Advisor for Ballet Folklorico de UCR

“..no nos tragará la tierra | the earth will not devour us: Honoring Our Past, Embracing Joy, and Building Collective Power for the Future”

3:00 PM – 3:10 PM MST

Break

3:10 PM – 4:10 PM MST

Concurrent Session IW1-1-1 | Proposing a New Health Model: Merging Curanderismo Latinx Traditional Medicine with Modern Allopathic Medicine. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 200

Concurrent Session IW1-2-1 | Trauma-Informed and Culturally Responsive Approaches in the Classroom: A Pathway to Healing-Centered Education. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 202

Concurrent Session ES1-3-1 | Catalizadores del Cambio: Advancing Latinx Students to College Completion and Career Achievement. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 203

Concurrent Session IW1-4-1 | From Inclusion to Servingness to Thriving:    Envisioning Engineering Where Latin* Students Can Thrive. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 204

Concurrent Session IW1-5-1 | Equity in Action: Workshopping for Transparency in Learning and Teaching. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 205 

Concurrent Session GSFP1-6-1 | Featured Session. Jordan Student Success Building 206 

4:10 PM – 4:20 PM MST

Break

4:20 PM – 5:20 PM MST

Concurrent Session NLA1-1-2 | Room: Jordan Student Success Building 200

Concurrent Session ES1-2-2 | The Experiences of Second-Generation Salvadorans in Higher Education: Jordan Student Success Building 202

Concurrent Session ES1-3-2 | How does the Hispanic-Serving Institution Designation Influence Institutional Behavior and Resources. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 203

Concurrent Session ES1-4-2 | Transformations in the Many Faces of Chicana Identity. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 204

Concurrent Session ES1-5-2 | Femtorship as a Transformative Practice:  How UNM Latina Professors are Femtoring Future Generations in Higher Education. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 205

Concurrent Session GSFP1-6-2 | Featured Session: Jordan Student Success Building 206

5:20 PM – 5:30 PM MST

Break

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM MST

Concurrent Session ES1-1-3 | College Adjustment and Satisfaction for Latinx Transfer vs. Non-transfer Students at an Elite Public Institution. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 200

Concurrent Session RT1-2-3 | Roundtable: Challenging Monolithic Understandings of Latinx/a/o Communities and Their Needs: Jordan Student Success Building 202

Concurrent Session ES1-3-3 | A Trauma-Informed Mentorship Guide for Latinx Individuals in Higher Education. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 203

Concurrent Session ES1-4-3 | "You probably have a leg up since you're Latino": Micro-aggressions and counter-spaces for Latino men studentsRoom: Jordan Student Success Building 204

Concurrent Session ES1-5-3 | Using the Altar as a Healing Tool with Formerly Incarcerated Youth. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 205

Concurrent Session IHHE1-6-3 | IHHE Editor Workshop. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 206

Concurrent Session NSF1-7-3 | NSF Informational Session. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 207

6:30 PM – 6:40 PM MST

Break

6:40 PM – 7:40 PM MST

9th Annual Cigarroa Family Medical/STEM Distinguished Lecture | Tivoli Turnhalle
Dr. Charles Vela, President and Chief Architect at Afilon Innovation

“Cultivating Healers for the Latinx/a/o/e Community”

Sponsored by
Cigarroa Family 

8:00 PM - 10:00 PM MST

Dine Around

A fun and informal opportunity for attendees to network, learn from their peers, and have conversations around a specific topic over dinner. Reservations will be made at up to 10 restaurants for up to 8 attendees at each restaurant, and a topic of discussion will be led by an AAHHE Board Member. Sign-up sheets will be available at the registration table and space is available on a first come, first served basis. Please note that attendees will need to cover the cost of their own dinner.

Saturday, March 8, 2025

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM MST

Networking Cafecito with AAHHE Chairs | Tivoli Turnhalle Atrium

9:00 AM - 9:50 AM MST

Welcome Program: AAHHE Year In Review & Fellows Recognition | Tivoli Turnhalle

9:50 AM - 10:50 AM MST

Plenary Session | Tivoli Turnhalle

Plenary Speaker:
Michael Benitez, PhD, Vice President for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Metropolitan State University of Denver

10:50 AM – 11:00 AM MST

Break

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM MST

Concurrent Session ODC2-1-4 | Outstanding Dissertation Competition Presentation, Third Place Winner. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 200

Concurrent Session ES2-2-4 | Creating Community through Learning: Impact of a Summer Research Program for Undergraduates at a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 202

Concurrent Session IW2-3-4 | Bregando, Construyendo, y Sosteniendo: Shaping and Contributing to Comunidad at a Florida eHSI. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 203

Concurrent Session ES2-4-4 | Cultivating communities of empowerment: How students and departments co-create inclusive STEM environments in Hispanic-serving Institutions. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 204 

Concurrent Session ES2-5-4 | The Role of Advocacy Coalitions in Urban HSI Universities Pursuit to Top Tier: Multiple Case Studies. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 205

Concurrent Session ES2-6-4 | Reconciling Selectivity and Inclusivity: UCLA's Transformation into an Emerging HSI. Jordan Student Success Building 206

10:50 AM – 12:10 PM MST

Concurrent Session NSF2-7-4 | NSF 1:1’s. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 207

12:10 PM – 12:10 PM MST

Break 

12:10 PM - 1:00 PM MST

Networking Buffet Lunch, Art & Poster Session Preview | Tivoli Turnhalle

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM CST

AAHHE Book Awards | Tivoli Turnhalle

  • Early Career Category: 2025 How Schools Make Race: Teaching Latinx Racialization in America. Harvard Education Press. Laura C. Chávez-Moreno, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of California, Los Angeles. 
  • Mid-Career Category: 2023 Raza Schools: The Fight for Latino Educational Autonomy in a West Texas Borderlands Town. University of Oklahoma Press. Jesús Jesse Esparza, PhD, Associate Professor, Texas Southern University.
  • Senior Scholar Category: 2024 Culturally Responsive Schooling for Indigenous Mexican Students. Multilingual Matters. William Pérez, PhD, Professor, Loyola Marymount University. Rafael Vasquez, PhD, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
  • Edited Volume Category:

    • 2023 Community College and Beyond: Understanding the Transfer Pipeline for Latina/o/x Students. Information Age Publishing. José del Real Viramontes, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of California, Riverside. Marissa Vasquez, EdD, Associate Director, Community College Equity Assessment Lab (CCEAL) & Associate Professor, Postsecondary Educational Leadership and Student Affairs (PELSA), San Diego State University.

    • 2024 Latin* Students in Engineering: An Intentional Focus on a Growing Population. Rutgers University Press. Lara Pérez-Felkner, PhD, Associate Professor. Florida State University. Sara Rodríguez, PhD, Associate Professor, Virginia Tech. Ciera Fluker, PhD, Ohio BWC.

2:00 PM – 2:30 PM MST

Break

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM MST

Concurrent Session ODC2-1-5 | ODC 2. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 200

Concurrent Session ES2-2-5 | How Schools Make Race: Teaching Latinx Racialization in America. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 202 

Concurrent Session ES2-3-5 | “It’s important to hold the door open" - Motivations of Latino Men is HESA Programs. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 203

Concurrent Session ES2-4-5 | Striving Towards Latinx Faculty Thriving in Early Career. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 204

Concurrent Session ES2-5-5 | Navigating Barriers: A Duoethnographic Exploration of Latina Superintendents Aspiring to Shape Equitable Futures. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 205

Concurrent Session USDA2-6-5 | USDA Caminos To Success Fellows. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 206

2:00 PM – 6:10 PM MST

Concurrent Session NSF2-7-5 | NSF Informational Session. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 207

3:30 PM – 3:40 PM MST

Break

3:40 PM – 4:40 PM MST

Concurrent Session ODC2-1-6 | ODC 1. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 200

Concurrent Session ES2-2-6 | Cultivating communities of empowerment: How students and departments co-create inclusive STEM environments in Hispanic-serving Institutions. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 202

Concurrent Session ES2-4-6 | Reflexión y acción: Moving equity, inclusion and diversity (EID) from theory to praxis. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 204

Concurrent Session IW2-5-6 | Writing Ourselves into Academia: A Reflective Workshop for Imagining Latinx/a/o Futures. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 205

Concurrent Session USDA2-6-6 | USDA Caminos To Success Fellows. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 206

4:40 PM – 5:40 PM MST

Break

4:50 PM – 5:50 PM MST

Concurrent Session RT2-1-7 | Roundtable: Intentional Institutional Practices to Support Latinx/a/o Student Success. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 200

Concurrent Session IW2-2-7 | Community College Men of Color Initiatives: Examining Practices and Structures that Activate Student Assets. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 202

Concurrent Session IW2-3-7 | Reimagining Love, Care, and Energy Through Spoken Word: A Tool for Healing in Higher Education. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 203

Concurrent Session IW2-4-7 | Healing Through Connection: Supporting Latinx/a/o Students with Care and Intention. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 204

Concurrent Session ES2-5-7 | Navigating Change: Supporting Undocumented Students Amid Shifting Immigration Laws and Educational Barriers. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 205

Concurrent Session ES2-6-7 | Amplifying STEM Impact through State-Based HSI Consortiums. Room: Jordan Student Success Building 206

5:50 PM – 6:10 PM MST

Break

6:10 PM – 7:00 PM MST

Networking Mixer and Art & Poster Session | Jordan Student Success Building Lobby

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM MST

Awards Dinner & Closing Remarks | Tivoli Turnhalle

  • Alfredo G. de los Santos, Jr. Distinguished Leadership Award ~ Olivia A. Graeve, PhD, Elias Masry Endowed Professor in Engineering, University of California, San Diego.
  • Community College Award ~ Osvaldo Roberto Caballero, MBA, Director, Construction and Applied Technologies Institution, Lone Star College.
  • Doctoral Student Awards ~ 
    • Veronica Valencia Gonzalez, PhD, University of California, Irvine

    • Saul López, Doctoral Candidate, Marquette University.

  • Early Career Awards ~ 
    • Angela Pérez-Villa, MA, PhD, Assistant Professor of History, Western Michigan University. 
    • Mayra Puente, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of California, Irvine. 
  • Mildred Garcia Founders’ Award ~ Ana Mari Cauce, PhD, President, University of Washington.
  • Outstanding Support of Hispanic Issues Award ~ Teresa Patricia Feria Arroyo, PhD, Associate Dean for Faculty Success, School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
  • Sylvia Hurtado University Faculty Award ~ Idalis Villanueva Alarcón, PhD, Associate Professor, Associate Chair, University of Florida.
Updated 1/29/2025