Our Research
The HEART lab is a space for learning coupled with cariño, where we discuss hard issues that require creative and innovative solutions.
Indicators of Thriving for Latinx Students at an Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution: Meeting their Essential Needs
Indicators of Thriving for Latinx Students at an Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution: Meeting their Essential Needs is a quantitative study that seeks to explore how educational structures designed to meet the essential needs of students and centered on their lived realities and experiences influence their ability to thrive.
This project is funded by a competitive grant from the Center for Economic Justice and Action, which is devoted to serving historically underserved communities within the UC system. The goal of this project is to explore measurable metrics of thriving as part of our Latinx Thriving Initiative (LTI) at UC Berkeley, with a focus on Latine students, an understudied population in research on essential needs within the context of HSIs. Through this work, we will provide empirical evidence of the outcomes that students achieve when supported by the campus to meet their needs, thus empowering campus educators and leaders to support Latine students and determine the best ways to truly serve them.
PI Garcia is leading a team of two undergraduate researchers (Henry Liev & Jeremy Li) and one graduate student researcher (Cassandra Yee) and working closely with Dr. Andrew Eppig, Director of Equity Data Initiatives in E&I. The plan is to develop a series of presentations and infographics for the UC Berkeley community and the University of California at large, and to ultimately publish empirical findings that contribute to knowledge creation on this topic.
Exploring Liberatory Outcomes Development Within a Latines/xs in Education Course
In thinking about ways to tangibly assess how well institutions serve and educate their Latine students and other students of color, Garcia (2021) argues for a conceptualization of “liberatory outcomes” that account for students’ development of racial-ethnic identity, a commitment to social justice, and a focus on collective liberation.
Funded by UC Berkeley’s Presidential Chair Fellowship and the Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL) PI Garcia is using a mixed-methods approach to explore the development of liberatory outcomes in a college-level course focused on Latine/x people. In particular, we are interested in the development of racial-ethnic identity and critical consciousness and understanding the outcomes related to exploring self, family, and community.
The two-year research project is in collaboration with Dr. Marisella Rodriguez, Associate Director of Equity & Inclusion in CTL, and focuses on the course EDUC 188: Latines/xs in Education: Critical Issues & Perspectives. PI Garcia will hire two undergraduate researchers to support data analysis and dissemination of the findings.