Directory » CINTHYA SALAZAR
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CINTHYA SALAZAR
Assistant Professor
Curriculum Vitae
Dr. Cinthya Salazar received her Ph.D. in Higher Education, Student Affairs, and International Education Policy from the University of Maryland in 2020 and joined the Educational Administration and Human Resource Development department at Texas A&M University as an Assistant Professor during the same year. Dr. Salazar teaches graduate level courses in student affairs, higher education administration, and qualitative research methodologies. She is an active member of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), serving as Co-Chair for the Presidential Commission for Undocumented Immigrants.

Dr. Salazar's research focuses on the mechanisms used by undocumented students to access, persist, and succeed in higher education. She uses participatory action research approaches and engages members of the community affected by the phenomenon under study as co-researchers. By forming research collectives with those affected by the issues under investigation, she aims to facilitate platforms where their knowledge and expertise are centered in critical research. Overall, through her scholarship, she seeks to generate localized student success models, reduce minoritized student's college attrition, and promote equity and inclusion in postsecondary settings.

Dr. Salazar's research and pedagogy are informed by her former experiences as a higher education administrator. She worked as a student affairs professional for over eight years, primarily in student retention and success programs. Dr. Salazar continues to be an active member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), supporting practitioners committed to creating equitable learning environments for minoritized students. She currently serves as the Region III representative for NASPA's Undocumented Immigrants & Allies Knowledge Community.

Education
Ph.D., Higher Education, Student Affairs, and International Education Policy, University of Maryland (2020)
M.S., Higher Education Administration, Florida International University (2012)
COURSES TAUGHT
EDAD 603. Advanced Student Development Theory
2022A, 2023A
EDAD 669. The College Student
2020C, 2021C, 2022C
EDAD 689. Immigrant Student Experiences in K-12 & Higher Education
2021B, 2023A
EHRD 655. Qualitative Research Methods
2021A, 2022A
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Journal Articles
Park, J. J., Kim, Y. K., Salazar, C., & Eagan, M. K. (2022). Discrimination and student-faculty interaction in STEM: Probing the mechanisms influencing inequality. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 15(2), 218–229. 10.1037/dhe0000224
Park, J. J., Zheng, J., Lue, K. E., Salazar, C., Liwanag, A. M., Parikh, R. M., & Anderson, J. L. (in press). Looking beyond college: STEM college seniors on entering the workforce and the impact of race and gender. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.
Salazar, C. (2022). Participatory action research with & for undocumented college students: Ethical challenges and methodological opportunities. Qualitative Research, 22(3), 369-386. 10.1177/ 1468794120985689
Salazar, C., Barahona, C., Romero Viruel, A., Velasco Zuñiga, J., Palma, B., Meza, K. J., Moreno, R. (in press). Research collectives with, for, and by undocumented scholars: Creating counterspaces for revelation, validation, resistance, empowerment, and liberation in higher education. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education. 10.1177/15381927221111869
Salazar, C. (in press). “I knew it was gonna be hard, but I always knew I had support from my parents”: The role of family on undocumented students’ college aspirations and persistence. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice. 10.1177/ 15210251211018826
Park, J. J., Kim, Y. K., Lue, K. E., Zheng, J. Parikh, R. M., Salazar, C., & Liwanag, A. M. (2021). Who are you studying with? The role of diverse friendships in STEM and corresponding inequalities. Research in Higher Education Journal, 62(8), 1146–1167. 10.1007/s11162-021-09638-8
Park, J. J., Salazar, C., Parikh, R. M., Zheng, J., Liwanag, A. M., & Dunewood, L. A. (2021). Connections matter: Accessing information about education and careers in STEM. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 27(6), 85-113. 10.1615/ JWomenMinorScienEng.2021033856
Salazar, C. (2021). We are friends? Navigating relationships with undocumented college students as co-researchers in participatory action research. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 34(8), 715-732. 10.1080/09518398.2021.1956622
Sánchez, B., Salazar, C., & Guerra, J. (2021). “I feel like I have to be the whitest version of myself”: Experiences of early-career Latina higher education administrators. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. 10.1037/dhe0000267
Park, J. J., Kim, Y. K., Salazar, C., & Hayes, S. (2020). Student-faculty interaction and discrimination from faculty in STEM: The link to retention. Research in Higher Education, 61(3), 330-356. 10.1007/s11162-019-09564-w
Salazar, C., Park, J. J., & Parikh, R. M. (2020). STEM student-faculty relationships: The influence of race and gender on access to career-related opportunities. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 26(5), 413-446. 10.1615/ JWomenMinorScienEng.2020031959
Book Chapters
Salazar, C., Nader, C., Choi, T., & Russell, F. (under review). Undocumented immigrants’ movement and activism toward educational justice in the United States. In Mehta, N., Wosniak, J., & Nevel, D. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Social Justice and Education. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Chang, A., Mendes, J., & Salazar, C. (2019). Qualitative methodological considerations for studying undocumented students in the United States. In Noblit, George W. (Ed.), The Oxford Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods in Education. Oxford University Press. DOI: 10.1093/acrefore/ 9780190264093.013.585
Conference Presentations
Salazar, C., Ackerman, J., Giles, K. (2021, November). Getting empowered and educated: How an immigration service-learning course influences student’s path toward critical consciousness. Research paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, San Juan, PR.
Sánchez, B., Salazar, C., & Guerra, J. (2022, April). Role of mentoring for Latina entry-level student affairs professionals. Research paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.
Salazar, C. (2022, April). Engaging undergraduate students in participatory action research: A lessons learned workshop. Workshop will be facilitated at the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.
Salazar, C., Barahona, C., Romero Viruel, A., Velasco Zuñiga, J., Palma, B., Meza, K. J., Moreno, R. (2022, March). Research collectives with, for, and by undocumented scholars in higher education. Research paper presented at American Association for Hispanics in Higher Education, Henderson, NV.
Salazar, C., Aguilar, C., Russell, F., Reyna Rivarola, A., Cisneros, J. (2021, November). Interrogating the meaning of conducting research “with and for” undocumented immigrant students in higher education. Symposium accepted at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, San Juan, PR. [Withdrawn due to COVID-19]
Hall, K. A., Salazar, C., Vigil, D., Santa-Ramirez, S., & Muñoz, S. M. (2020, November). Moving beyond exclusionary policies: Legal violence and its effects on undocumented college students. Panel session at the annual meeting for the Association for the Study of Higher Education, Virtual.
Park, J. J., Salazar, C., Anderson, J. L., Liwanag, A. M., Parikh, R. M., Lue, K. E., & Zheng, J. (2020, April). Looking beyond college: STEM college seniors on their post-graduation plans. Roundtable presentation at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA. [Cancelled due to COVID-19]
Salazar, C. (2020, November). Collective resistance in higher education: A participatory action study with & for undocumented college students in Virginia. Dissertation of the year session at the annual meeting for the Association for the Study of Higher Education, Virtual.
Salazar, C., Alderete Puig, P., Morales Rojas, P., & Zuñiga, A. J. (2020, April). Undocumented students in the Commonwealth of Virginia: Counterstories of college of persistence. Roundtable presentation at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA. [Cancelled due to COVID-19]
Salazar, C., Liwanag, A. M., Zheng, J., & Park, J. J. (2020, November). Marginality and mattering in STEM: Examining the relationships students form with higher education administrators. Research paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, Virtual.
Other Publications and Presentations
Hernadez Quiros, M., & Salazar, C. (2022). College guide for undocumented high school students in Texas. https://www.dropbox.com/s/8rk50wkhr0pslbe/ENG% 20Undocu%20Students%20in%20TX%20College%20Guide_04-15-2022.pdf?dl=0
Hernadez Quiros, M., & Salazar, C. (2022). Guía universitaria para estudiantes indocumentados de preparatoria en Texas. https://www.dropbox.com/s/ t5b1p4qbyq9cifx/SPANISH%20Undocu%20Students%20in%20TX%20College%20Guide_04-15-2022.pdf?dl=0
Nienhusser, H. K., Reyna Rivarola, A. R., Salazar, C. (2020). Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) response to the Supreme Court of the United States decision on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and position statement on undocumented college students. Las Vegas, NV: Association for the Study of Higher Education. https://www.ashe.ws/content.asp?contentid=425
OTHER NOTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Bobby Wright Dissertation of the Year Award (2020). Association for the Study of Higher Education.
Early Career Award (2023). American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education.
Faculty Fellowship Program (2021). American Association for Hispanics in Higher Education.
Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship (2019). Ford Foundation.
Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2023). Ford Foundation.