Ep. 52 As La Profesora, Dra. Michelle Espino Lira, slowly returns to the podcasting space, we thought it would be helpful to talk about the daunting world of doctoral program admissions. In this Sidenote, La Profesora offers invaluable insights and practical tips for making informed decisions about your doctoral journey to and through Higher Educat…

Ep 51 This episode is dedicated to Mrs. Ramona Espino, who was and remains a brilliant light in La Profesora's heart. La Profesora talks about what it means to live in, through, and around grief. Through this profound loss, there lies opportunity for deep reflection about "being as doing". So often, life on these academic streets is a flurry of act…

It's a Back in the Day Replay, ya'll! La Profesora is giving flowers to Dra. Melissa Abeyta, the creator and host of the Scholar Homies Podcast: The Story is to be Told, Not Sold, Conversations with the Soul. We talk about her transition to the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, the legacy she is building alongside her colegxs y Scholar Homies,…

Wow, ya'll! We're kicking off Season 7 by celebrating 50 episodes that showcase the amazing work that our gente are doing in higher education! We have a special guest host, future Dra. Nancy Camarillo who offers fantastic reflection questions for La Profesora. Our conversations takes us back to the early days of the podcast, lessons learned, and ev…

La Profesora is coming back, ya'll! Thank you for your patience and support! As we prepare for a new season of the podcast, we want to give a shout out to an amazing scholar who is holding it down in the podcasting world: Dra. Gina Garcia! We were fortunate to have Dra. Garcia on the show in Episode 10: Beyond the HSI Designation con Dr. Andrés Cas…

Ep 49 This episode is a tribute to all the student affairs practitioners out there who went beyond the "other duties as assigned" at the start of COVID-19. Student Affairs practitioners had to pivot and find a way out of no way to offer support and resources to students, especially those most in need. None of you have been compensated enough for yo…

Ep 48 It is with so much sorrow in my heart that I post this episode. I do not want to lose hope. The Black community in Buffalo deserves everything we have. The Taiwanese parishioners in Santa Ana deserve everything we have. The children and teachers who were murdered in Uvalde deserve everything we have. Every victim of gun violence deserves ever…

Ep47 What started as a way to gather to write at the start of the pandemic evolved into a shared sacred space among Central American and Isthmian writers who sought a space to tell their stories from the Isthmus. La Profesora talks with Eileen Galvez, Samantha Erskine, Bri Rodriguez, and Jessica Hoppe about how the CentAm Writers began and ways tha…

BONUS EPISODE! Ya'll didn't think that after talking about my love, John Lira's campaign for the past few seasons that I wouldn't showcase a critical moment in our journey, right?! In this BONUS episode, I captured moments before, during, and after election day in the Texas primaries. John Lira, candidate for Texas 23rd Congressional District, is n…

Ep 46 La Profesora talks with newly-minted Dr. Roberto Orozco (felicidades on your dissertation defense!) about the connection between Jotería Studies and Chicana Feminism. Early Chicana Feminists crafted a theory that disrupted heteronormativity and uplifted race/ethnicity, gender, and sexuality, a foundational element that is not always addressed…

Episode 45 Ya'll! We have a new Poet-in-Residence and in Resistencia, future Dr. Gabriel Pulido! Gabriel shares his journey with spoken word and slam poetry, noting that his creative writing and academic writing processes sometimes blend together. As a conjurer of joy, our new Poet-in-Resistencia offers writing workshops that help queer and transge…

Ep44 It's always inspiring to learn from a scholar who centers comunidad in her work. La Profesora talks with Dra. Dolores Delgado Bernal about her incredible contributions to promoting assets-based frameworks in the study of Latinx/a/o educational pathways. She reminds us that no idea is ever fully finished, that we are always evolving in our thin…

Episode 43 Bridging sensing and thinking is not often valued in academia. So-called "objectivity" is what is honored. Yet, our gente know something about sensing and thinking that can create a vision of higher education that can bring wholeness and hope. In this episode, La Profesora talks with Professor Emerita Dra. Laura Rendon about sentipensant…

Ep. 42 In higher education, we tend to hear that we should be strategic in teaching, service, publications, and grants--pretty much EVERYTHING! What if I told you that one of our veteranas in the field focused more on doing the work she cared about than about strategizing every step in her storied career? La Profesora had the opportunity to talk wi…

Ep 41 To have the courage to say that one is system-impacted is just the tip of the iceberg in this thought-provoking conversation with Dra. Melissa Abeyta. Dra. Abeyta is working with her Scholar Homies to encourage institutions of higher education to pay attention to a student population that is already present on their campuses: formerly incarce…

Ep 40 Future Dr. Joe Louis Hernandez has lived several lifetimes. By the age of 19, Joe Louis was an addict and facing incarceration. His life was changed after attending a drug treatment center that was connected to Mt. San Antonio College, a community college in Southern California. As he moved through formal education to now as a doctoral studen…

Ep 39 Critical Quantitative methodology is justice-oriented and focuses on context. If you plan to be a critical quant or quant crit, you need to acknowledge that national datasets do not accurately reflect the lived experiences of those who have been historically marginalized and are founded upon frameworks that are not critical. La Profesora talk…

Ep38 It's not often that La Profesora has such an enriching and joyful conversation about quantitative methods, pero, Dra. Elizabeth Rivera Rodas offers a fantastic perspective on using quantitative methods to critique structural inequities in higher education. We talk about the journey through a joint PhD, the importance of allowing the research q…

Ep. 37 Hola, mi gente! Welcome to Season 5! In our first episode of the season, we welcome our new Poet-in-Residence and in Resistencia, future Dra. Cecilia Caballero, who talks about her journey as a single mother surviving through COVID-19, intergenerational poverty, and the challenges of academe to (re)claim herself through creative writing. Cec…

Ep. 36 It's our final episode of the season and it is FIRE! We bid farewell to Sarah Gonzales, who is completing her tenure as our inaugural Poet-in-Residence and in Resistencia. Sarah drops knowledge on the critical questions we should all be asking ourselves as we transition to being out in the world with and without masks and social distancing. …

*Episode 35* Our conversation with full-time higher education professionals who are enrolled in doctoral programs continues! La Profesora talks with future Dr. Oscar Lanza-Galindo and his daughter Chel about how he navigated his first year in doctoral student amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, he had tremendous support from his partner, Jamie…

Episode 34 The term "Part-time doctoral student" is a misnomer. Our gente who navigate full-time work, while also engaging in coursework and life outside of campus are full-time, full-time. There's really no part-time to it! La Profesora talks with future Dr. Bri Serrano about their journey to entering the program at Colorado State University, whil…

Episode 33 Why They Hate Us: How Racist Rhetoric Impacts Education (Teachers College Press) is a powerful compilation that bridges K-12 and higher education teachers, scholars, and practitioners in uncovering how racist rhetoric affects student pathways and experiences. La Profesora talks with Dra. Lindsay Perez Huber y Dra. Susana Muñoz about thei…

*Episode 32* La Profesora talks with future Dr. Yolanda Cataño about how she has drawn upon queer chisme to cultivate comunidad within Latinx/a/o queer communities. Our conversation journeys through her relationship with her #ScholarHomies, her commitment to serving Latinx/a/o queer communities in her area, and addressing what "servingness" means w…

*Episode 31* La Profesora talks with future Dr. Sergio Gonzalez y future Dr. Ángel Gonzalez about ethical chisme as a practice of queer radical love and as methodology. We delve into Jotería Scholarship and discuss why the field of higher education has yet to uplift this research. AND we talk about the many ways that academia does not serve us pero…

Episode 30 Although we all want to shake our fist at Reviewer #2, we don't usually have a chance to go behind-the-scenes of an academic journal. In this episode, La Profesora talks with Dra. Cindy Cruz, who recently stepped down from her role as associate editor for the Frontiers Journal, which is connected to the National Women's Studies Associati…

In Episode 29, La Profesora talks with Ricardo Nazario y Colón about the importance of senior leadership in higher education setting a vision for diversity and inclusion. Senior Diversity Officers cannot be effective if a vision is not in place! We also talk about what it means to do DEI work as an office of one, serving the needs of faculty, admin…

We're back with Season 4! For our first episode of the season, La Profesora talks with Dra. Constanza Cabello at Framingham State University about what it's like to be the inaugural Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement. We talk about moving from personal growth in DEI work to structural change and how to stay in the field …

For the last episode of the season, La Profesora is revisiting the Writing Series we are doing all year. This time, she talks with Dr. Davíd Martínez about writing beyond publications and metrics for tenure and promotion. Writing should be about community, about action, and about praxis. Our Poet-in-Residence and in Resistencia, Sarah Gonzales, sha…

Even before the protests and outrage that stemmed from the murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd, there have been discussions about anti-Blackness in Latinx/a/o communities. This episode focuses on addressing anti-Blackness by centering Blackness in our comunidad through the tenets of Black-imiento created by Amalia Dache, Jasm…

We’re doing a different take on what you have probably been hearing and reading as folx push through the final campaigns for Election Day 2020. Not to say that our current political climate is beautiful, but that our engagement in our local communities, of fighting for justice for our communities is beautiful in its effort. We are focusing on local…

We kick off our Writing Series with a focus on writing academic books! La Profesora talks with Dra. Lorgia Garcia-Peña about her journey in writing her first award-winning book, The Borders of Dominicanidad: Race, Nations and Archives of Contradictions (Duke University Press, 2016) and how she carried the idea for her second book, Translating Black…

The term "Latinx" is still in the process of becoming. La Profesora talks with Dr. Cristobal Salinas, who has studied the evolution of the term within higher education contexts and introduces additional terms that may (better) address the experiences of gente within the Latinx/a/o diaspora. And she talks with Dra. Sara Mata y Dr. Joel Perez, who we…

Mentoring: an elusive concept that can be difficult to define and, at times, difficult to engage with someone. There are times when we do not know how to approach someone for mentorship/femtorship/guidance, and then there are times we do not even realize we are being mentored! La Profesora talks with Dr. David Perez II and future Dra. Juana Osorio …

La Profesora talks with Dra. Yolanda Valencia and future Dr. Christian Bello Escobar about their journeys to the U.S. and their early years working in a slaughterhouse and in janitorial services, respectively. Both experiences have informed their research and practice in extraordinary ways, one as a feminist human geographer and for another the ass…

La Profesora kicks off Season 3 with conversations about finding love in a place like academia and what it means to navigate higher education as dual career couples. Guests Fabiola Mora and Dora Frias talk about being models of possibility, especially for queer Latinx communities. They also share important advice about setting boundaries regarding …

While La Profesora works on Season 3, here's a sneak peak into an exciting collaboration between the national organization, Excelencia in Education and Dra. Michelle Espino Lira, associate professor at the University of Maryland, College Park! Cultivating Excelencia is a limited series podcast showcasing the colleges, universities, and community or…

For our final episode of Season 2, we offer this cross-over with the NASPA Latinx/a/o Knowledge Community, showcasing La Profesora y Dras. Judy Marquez Kiyama y Susana Muñoz. Nestor Melendez moderates. Poet Juan Felipe Herrera is featured.Di La Profesora, Dra. Michelle Espino Lira

La Profesora talks with Dr. Victor Saenz about turning his passion project into award-winning scholarship & practice focusing on educational achievement for boys and men of color, especially Latinos. Poet Kay Ulanday Barrett is featured.Di La Profesora, Dra. Michelle Espino Lira

La Profesora talks with Dallas ISD Principal of the Year, Dra. Nancy Bernardino about the founding of Solar Preparatory School for Girls and her advocacy for African American and Latinx/a/o children. This is Part II in a series on gender. Poet MS McDonough is featured.Di La Profesora, Dra. Michelle Espino Lira

La Profesora talks with Dr. Francisco Galarte about the embodiment of gender in transgender and Chicanx/Latinx studies. This is the first part of a 3-part series on gender in Latinx/a/o communities. Poet Joshua Jennifer Espinosa is featured.Di La profesora, Dra. Michelle Espino Lira

La Profesora talks with Dr. Cristóbal Rodríguez and future Doctora Natalie Muñoz about how they serve Black and Brown students at Howard University, a Historically Black University. Poet Ross Gay is featured.Di La Profesora, Dra. Michelle Espino Lira

La Profesora talks with Dra. Vanessa Sansone and Dr. Mark H. Lopez about the importance of population studies in ensuring that we are distributing resources and support in equitable ways to serve nuestra comunidad. Poet Luis J. Rodriguez is featured.Di La Profesora, Dra. Michelle Espino Lira

La Profesora talks with Dr. Juan Guardia y Dra. Marissa Vasquez about remaining true to our wellbeing in the midst of caring for family and maintaining our careers. Poet Waheed is featured. Sending love into our world that we commit to caring for ourselves, our families, and our communities as we face the Coronavirus pandemic.…

La Profesora talks with Dra. Kristan Venegas and Andrew Gonzalez about what home means to them and how they have managed their careers staying close to home with (chosen) family. Poet Eva Sierra is featured. This episode is dedicated to the memory and legacy of Andrew Gonzalez, who served the University of New Mexico and the NASPA Latinx/a/o Knowle…

La Profesora talks with two incredible leaders in higher education, Dr. Sal Mena y Dra. Maggie De La Teja, about their journeys to the Vice President of Student Affairs role. Poet Araceli Montaño is featured.Di La Profesora, Dra. Michelle Espino Lira

La Profesora talks with Dra. Gina Garcia and Dr. Andrés Castro Samayoa about pressing against the boundaries of the Hispanic-Serving Institution designation. Poet Lee Maracle is featured.Di La Profesora, Dra. Michelle Espino Lira

La Profesora celebrates the first season of Latinx Intelligentsia with folx who cultivate the uplift for Latinx/a/o communities. She talks with Dr. William Liu, Dr. Cameron Beatty, and Dr. Amanda Tachine about what the podcast has meant for them. Poet Mary Oliver is featured.Di La Profesora, Dra. Michelle Espino Lira

La Profesora talks with 2 proud community college graduates, Dra. Lorelle Espinosa & U.S. Marine Corps Veteran John Lira, about their journeys to advocacy & leadership in public policy and practice. Poet José Olivarez is featured. PLUS Bonus Content!Di La Profesora, Dra. Michelle Espino Lira

La Profesora talks about the many paths that led Dra. Sofia Pertuz and Dr. José Luis Santos to leave the formal structures of higher education and move into spaces that work with higher education: The JED Foundation & 2U, Inc. Poet Vickie Vértiz is featured.Di La Profesora, Dra. Michelle Espino Lira