Ivan Valdovinos

Ivan Valdovinos Gutierrez is a Ph.D. candidate 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 as well as 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. His research, teaching, and mentorship lie at the nexus of college access, equity, and opportunity for historically marginalized students in the higher education pipeline, specifically focusing on addressing Latinx student equity. His scholarship has been published in Education Sciences, About Campus, and Educational Researcher. Ivan’s research has been funded by the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS), UC Davis Wheelhouse Summer Scholars Fellowship, UC Berkeley Gardner P. Seminar in Higher Education Fellowship, UC San Diego Jacobs Social Impact Fellowship, UC San Diego Yankelovich Center Research Grant, and the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. His work builds on his six years of experience managing multi-million dollar federal grants, including leading Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) efforts in the community college sector. His passion for advancing the success of historically marginalized and underrepresented students in the academy led him to create a digital community of over 33,000 students, where he designs and facilitates workshops and digital educational campaigns.