Title: Assistant Professor, College of Education, San Diego State University
Education: B.A., history, California State University, Fullerton; M.A., educational leadership and student affairs, San Diego State University; Ph.D., urban education policy, University of Southern California
Age: 37
Mentors: Dr. Estela Mara Bensimon, University of Southern California; Dr. Shaun R. Harper, University of Southern California; Dr. Frank Harris, San Diego State University; Patricia Alvarado, California State University, Fullerton.
Words of encouragement/wisdom: “I’m all about having fun and being in a community. I say having fun because I know that I’m going to get articles rejected from journals. I know it won’t be easy to go through the tenure process. But I’m also a first-generation college student; no one expected me to even graduate college. So, I’m going to enjoy what I do. And second, I’m going to center building a community. To show my students and colleagues of color that we’re going to face challenges — and we’re still going to find optimism. There will be many times we’ll feel like outsiders as the only faculty of color. So, if we’re going to struggle in these ways, there’s a need for solidarity.”
When Dr. Eric R. Felix started his undergraduate studies at California State University, Fullerton as a firstgeneration student, a counselor in student academic support services quickly put him at ease. She spoke Spanish with Felix, often asking about his family and encouraging him to be the best scholar he could be. Felix says the counselor, Patricia Alvarado, helped him feel that his full identity not only was welcome in academia but needed. Today, through his scholarship, teaching and mentoring, Felix tries to send that same message to students from underrepresented groups.
