Outstanding Dissertation Competition Biographies

2025 Recipients

Rooted in a family tradition of educators devoted to public education, María Javiera is a higher education researcher with a deep commitment to fostering equity and inclusion in academic environments. She serves as an advisor to the Cabinet of the Superintendencia de Educación Superior de Chile, where she contributes to policy development and oversight to ensure quality in higher education institutions. She holds a Ph.D. and Master’s in Higher Education from The Pennsylvania State University, where she was a Fulbright scholar, and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international academic conferences.

María Javiera’s research explores the intersection of institutional climate, student persistence, and educational equity, with a focus on supporting underrepresented student populations. Her work has been shaped by a rich academic journey and the mentorship of inspiring educators. At Penn State, she contributed to projects funded by the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, advancing efforts to create more inclusive STEM environments.

Dr. Edwin Perez is a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Diana Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success at the University of Texas, El Paso. Dr. Perez is the son of immigrants from Oaxaca, Mexico and comes from a first-generation and low-income background. These identities have been central in shaping his experiences through higher education, serving as both challenges and motivators to work toward transforming our institutions into environments where students who have been historically excluded from higher education can thrive. Dr. Perez received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Merced and an M.Ed in Student Affairs from the University of California, Los Angeles. Most recently, he received a Ph.D. from the Higher Education and Organizational Change program at the University of California, Los Angeles. His dissertation “The Life Cycle of STEMM Intervention Programs: From Adoption to Institutionalization” used a multiple case study approach and organizational theory to examine how STEMM intervention programs that seek to create inclusive science environments are implemented, adapted, sustained, and institutionalized within higher education institutions. His research interests focus on examining and developing the organizational dynamics and conditions that allow the creation of equitable higher education institutions.

Dra. Yvette M. Regalado (ella/she/her) is an Assistant Professor of Literacy Instruction at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Grounded in her identity as an Indigenous Latina practitioner-scholar-activist, Dra. Regalado is deeply committed to advancing cultural and language pedagogy in literacy instruction. Her research focuses on disrupting and dismantling the educational deficit narratives surrounding BIPOC students in K-16 classrooms. Her research uses counterstorytelling to advocate for student success, restorative literacies, and Indigenous pedagogy. Additionally, Dra. Regalado has 14 years of experience teaching in the K-12 classroom; seven of those years were as a reading specialist and dyslexic coordinator.

Along with her academic endeavors, she facilitates Coahuiltecan language and Ways of Knowing classes and is an educator in the Tānko Summer Institute: Xinachtli Pedagogy. Dra. Regalado is dedicated to revitalizing the Indigenous language in collaboration with the Indigenous Cultures Institute. Her work creates counterspaces that promote a sense of belonging and unity. Moreover, she co-directors the San Antonio Writing Project at UTSA. She is a Cultivating New Voices Among Scholars of Color Fellow, Institue for Teachers of Color Committed to Racial Justice Fellow, Catch the Next Leadership Fellow, and honored Recipient of the Cynthia L. Peterson Outstanding JCRL Article Award. 

2024 Recipients

Melissa Yzaguirre (she/ella), PhD, LMFT, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling & Marital and Family Therapy at the University of San Diego. Dr. Yzaguirre received her B.A. in Psychology and M.S. in Couple and Family Therapy from the COAMFTE-accredited program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She then received her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentration in Couple and Family Therapy from Michigan State University. Dr. Yzaguirre’s primary research and clinical interests are to improve mental health outcomes and strengthen family relationships in systemically marginalized communities, especially Latino communities. As a systemically trained clinician-researcher, she aims to increase culturally relevant practices available for mental health professionals to improve how they conceptualize and operationalize ethnic-racial and cultural diversity in the therapeutic context. Her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the community, professional, and university settings drives these efforts. She is a three-time recipient of and current mentor for graduate students in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Minority Fellowship Program funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Dr. Yzaguirre is also a licensed marriage and family therapist in Michigan and an AAMFT-approved supervisor candidate. 

Dra. Natalie Muñoz is a proud Afro-Latina and currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Rutgers University-Newark. She recently completed her PhD at Howard University Social Work. Natalie has served as an advocate for underserved college students, building mentorship programs for Black and Latine students for the last 15 years. Her research interests focus on AfroLatine ethnic/racial identity, mental health and educational inequities. She finds joy spending quality time with her abuelos y familia, cocinando un sancocho y más que todo bailando bachata.

Dr. Amy Nuñez (She/Her/Hers/Ella) is an Assistant Professor in the Teacher Preparation Program at Heritage University. She received her bachelor's in Elementary Education at Eastern Washington University where she was also a Ronald E. McNair Scholar. Her graduate studies led her to Indiana University, Bloomington where she received her Ph.D. in Education Policy.

Núñez’ research utilizes qualitative methods with Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Latino Critical Theory (LatCrit) to address barriers historically underrepresented students face in K-12 and higher education institutions, especially students who come from Latinx, low-income, first-generation, DACA, and/or undocumented backgrounds. Her dissertation titled, Powerful Voices Emerging from the Shadows: The Academic Experiences of Latinx College Students in Mixed-Status Families, identifies equitable strategies to better support students in mixed-status families achieve their educational goals.

As a first-generation college student, Latina, and daughter of immigrants, Nuñez is happy to be back in her hometown learning and growing from students at Heritage. She is especially excited to support students on their journey to becoming teachers.