Ivan Valdovinos

 Ivan Valdovinos is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Education Studies at the University of California, San Diego. He is a first-generation college student and the son of Mexican immigrants from Michoacán, Mexico. Ivan attended Washington State University where he obtained dual Bachelor degrees in English and Foreign Languages and Cultures. He also holds a Washington State Teacher Certification with an endorsement in English Language Arts. Upon completion of his undergraduate career, Ivan entered graduate school at Harvard University where he completed a Master of Education in Education Policy and Management. At the Harvard Graduate School of Education, he served as an Admissions Ambassador and a Program Assistant with Cambridge School Volunteers in their College Mentor Program. Prior to joining the Education Studies department at UCSD, Ivan served as the Director of the TRIO Student Support Services Program at Wenatchee Valley College where he actively worked to increase retention, graduation, and transfer rates. He also spearheaded and played a significant role in writing for the 2020 TRIO SSS Grant Writing Competition. This effort resulted in Wenatchee Valley College receiving $1.3 million dollars ($261,887 annually) from the U.S. Department of Education. Ivan’s efforts and commitment to addressing access and equity issues in his community have resulted in being named a 2020 Wenatchee Valley Business World 30 Under 35 recipient. Ivan’s personal and professional experiences as a first-generation, low-income Latino male from rural Washington State have shaped his research interests. His research interests are centered around college access and equity issues in higher education with a particular focus on men of color, rural education, family engagement, and community college. 

Curriculum Vitae

2020-Present | Ph.D. in Education Studies, University of California, San Diego

 2016 | Ed.M. Education Policy and Management, Harvard Graduate School of Education

2015 | B.A. in English (concentration: teacher preparation), Washington State University

 2015 | B.A. in Foreign Languages and Cultures (concentration: Spanish), Washington State University

2015 | Washington State Teacher Certification, Endorsement: English Language Arts

2013 | Summer Research Institute, University of ArizonaThesis: The Educational Barriers and Coping Strategies of Latino Male UndergraduatesAdvisor: Nolan L. Cabrera, Ph.D.

2013-2015 | Ronald E. McNair Research Scholars Program, Washington State UniversityThesis: A Critical Analysis of Latino Father Engagement in Higher Education.  Advisor: Olusola Adesope, Ph.D.

2021 | UCSD Summer Research Fellowship

2021 | EDS Doctoral Student AERA Travel Grant

2020 | Wenatchee Business World 30 Under 35 Award

2019 | Northwest Association Educational Opportunity Programs Emerging Leaders Institute Fellow

2019 | Institute for the Recruitment of Teachers (IRT) Associates Fellow Program

2015 | Washington State University Global Case Competition Winner

2015 | AERA Undergraduate Student Education Research Training Workshop Fellow 

2013 | WSU Alumni Association Leadership Award

2013 | Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education

2013 | WSU Junior Writing Portfolio - Passed with Distinction (top 10% of junior class)