Gina A. Garcia

The UC Santa Barbara Multicultural Center—along with Academic Initiatives, Chican@ Studies, and the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education—will host Dr. Gina A. Garcia on Thursday, January 17th at 6 pm in the MCC Theater giving the talk “Decolonizing HSIs: Moving From Theory to Practice.” This free, public presentation focuses on moving theoretical ideas about how to best serve Latinx and other marginalized students at Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

Garcia argues that in order for HSIs to achieve equitable outcomes and experiences for students, they must first acknowledge the “coloniality of power” that prevents students from succeeding. In this talk, Dr. Garcia will break down the nine dimensions of the framework, and how to implement these ideas into practice.

Dr. Gina Ann Garcia is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Administrative and Policy Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. She received her Ph.D. in Higher Education and Organizational Change from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Her research interests center on issues of equity and diversity within higher education with an emphasis on the organizational culture and identity of HSIs and the retention, success, and identity development of Latina/o college students.

Co-sponsors of the event include Chicano Studies Institute, Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), Division of Social Sciences, Multicultural Center, ONDAS Student Center, and the Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.