Graduate Student Directory

Jennifer Diana Figueroa
  • Title
    • Ph.D. Candidate
  • Division Social Sciences Division
  • Department
    • Latin American & Latino Studies
  • Email
  • Office Location
    • Merrill College Academic Building, 223
  • Mail Stop Merrill/Crown Faculty Services

Research Interests

  • Parental and family involvement
  • Equity minded pedagogy

Biography, Education and Training

Jennifer D. Figueroa, originally from Oxnard, California, with deep roots in Guerrero's Costa Chica, is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in the Latin American and Latino Studies department at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Before embarking on her doctoral studies, she served as a bilingual teacher in Ventura County, where she fostered a strong appreciation for the essential role of parental and family involvement in achieving educational equity for Chicanx and Latinx students.

Her research explores how teachers, particularly those associated with the Chicana/o Movement, have emerged as vital keepers and historians of community care. She is committed to understanding the implications of upholding the ideals of the Chicana/o Movement through their everyday actions of care and advocacy.

Honors, Awards and Grants

  • Cota Robles Fellowship (2018)
  • Crossing Latinidades Mellon Humanities Fellowship (2022)