Dr. Marcela Cuellar is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at the University of California, Davis. She teaches courses on higher education to undergraduate and doctoral students. Her research focuses on access and equity in higher education, Latina/o college student success, and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). More specifically, her research explores Latina/o students’ experiences and outcomes at HSIs and emerging HSIs. Dr. Cuellar’s passion for improving postsecondary access and success for historically marginalized groups stems from her personal and professional experience spanning the educational pipeline. She worked in Upward Bound, a federal TRiO program, and other educational outreach positions working with first-generation, low-income students before pursuing graduate school. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles.
My area of expertise is access and equity in higher education. I focus specifically on Latina/o students and their enrollment at various colleges and universities, particularly Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). My scholarship also considers how colleges and universities can better serve Latina/o students during their undergraduate education. Some of the topics that I explore within this area include student experiences with diversity and the curricular and co-curricular experiences that impact their educational outcomes.
