Sylvia Hurtado

Sylvia Hurtado is Professor in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies and directed the Higher Education Research Institute UCLA for over a decade. She previously served as Director of the University of Michigan’s Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education, where she began her academic career. Her recent edited books include Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Advancing Research and Transformative Practice and another book on Mexican American education entitled the Magic Key. She has over 100 publications focused on Latina/os in higher education, campus climate, and diversity in higher education. She currently directs a longitudinal study focusing on diversity of the scientific workforce, and recently completed a study of high-achieving low-income students in college.

In terms of service, she worked as part of a research team for the Michigan affirmative action admissions cases, informing the 2003 Supreme Court decision and continued to be active in providing research for amicus briefs in the recent Fisher v. University of Texas. She chaired the UC Academic Senate Committee on admissions, changing eligibility policy for California residents. She also served as President of her scholarly association, the Association for the Study of Higher Education.

She was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas and subsequently obtained an A.B. from Princeton University, M.Ed. from Harvard University, and Ph.D. from University of California, Los Angeles.