Theses and Dissertations

Hispanic Academic Leadership in the Health and Human Services

Date of Award

12-1-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Rehabilitation Counseling

First Advisor

Roy K. Chen

Second Advisor

Sara T. Grizzell

Third Advisor

Rommel Johnson

Abstract

In the United States, there are 63.7 million Hispanics (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023), making them the largest racial or ethnic minority in the country. National data from 2019 indicates that only 6% of tenured faculty in the U.S. were Hispanic, highlighting a significant underrepresentation of leaders in academia (NCES, 2024). This study employed a phenomenological approach with purposeful sampling, utilizing semi-structured interviews with ten participants who had leadership experience in academia within Health and Human Services (H&HS). The interviews served to explore various aspects, such as what were their aspirations to become leaders, their perceptions of the characteristics and qualities that motivated them to pursue leadership roles, the path they followed to reach those positions, the challenges they encountered, and the opportunities and how the gap of lack of Hispanic leadership in higher academia can be closed. The findings of the study served to enhance comprehension of the intricate nature of the lived experiences of the participants facilitating an understanding of how Hispanic leaders have attained leadership roles in the fields of H&HS, leveraging their shared experiences to support current students and aspirational leaders.

Comments

Copyright 2025 Gabriela Elizabeth Rangel. All Right Reserved.

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