Mary Dueñas

Assistant Professor; Coordinator, College Student Personnel

Biography

Mary Dueñas, is an assistant professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS) and the coordinator for the College Student Personnel (CSP) program at University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Dueñas’ research addresses issues of equity and access in higher education, with a focus on Latina/o/x college students attending four-year colleges/universities, sense of belonging and experience with imposter syndrome. In her research practice, she uses both holistic frameworks and critical theory to share stories and explain systemic inequities that marginalized communities face as they persist through higher education. She examines Latina/o/x college students' experiences and creates pathways to help them thrive and succeed in higher education. Additionally, Dueñas strives to implement research to inform practice, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Her publications have been featured in the Journal of College Student Development, Journal of Latinos and Education, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, and Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences. She is an active member of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), the American Educational Research Association (AERA), and the Association of Hispanics and American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE). Mary Dueñas holds her PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.