NCID-3109
Sylvia Mendez
Professor
University of Colorado Colorado Springs/University of Kentucky
Education/Degree:
1 Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (University of Kansas)
About
Dr. Sylvia Mendez is a Professor in the Department of Leadership, Research, and Foundations at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and is soon transitioning to be a Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky. She is engaged in several National Science Foundation-sponsored collaborative research projects focused on advancing equity and success in STEM academia. Dr. Mendez's research centers on the creation of optimal higher education policies and practices that advance faculty careers and student success, as well as the schooling experiences of Mexican-descent youth in the mid-20th century. She teaches undergraduate and graduate foundations of education and research research methods courses.
Current Work
Dr. Mendez's research agenda consists of three areas: (1) faculty mentoring and success, (2) collegiate student success, and (3) the history of education—specifically the experiences of students of Mexican descent in the post-World War II era. Of particular interest are the factors that preclude and induce the academic success of people of color by documenting their triumphs and struggles on the path to achievement and attainment. This type of research is context-rich and offers a unique historical and contemporary interpretation of their experiences in schools and higher education institutions. Methodologically, she utilizes interviews, surveys, large-scale data sources, archival research, and oral history to incorporate an interdisciplinary and theory-grounded approach in the study of educational leadership and policy studies.
Research Area Keyword(s)
Faculty Mentoring, student success, Inclusive Policies and Practices, qualitative research methods, History of Education