The Institute of Higher Education faculty selected Denisa Gándara as the Zell and Shirley Miller Graduate Fellow for 2013-14. “Through her rigorous research projects and leadership roles in ASHE and AERA, Denisa has clearly distinguished herself as a promising and engaged higher education scholar,” said Erik Ness, associate professor and graduate coordinator. Gándara plans to use the award to further examine the networks involved in the diffusion of “performance funding 2.0” policies, the mechanisms by which these policies are implemented, and their implications for community colleges. “It is such a pleasure to work in and be involved at the Institute, which affords such a supportive and motivating environment both as an organization and because of the contributions of the individuals who are part of it,” she said. A native Texan, Gándara earned bachelor’s degrees in both philosophy and Spanish with minors in psychology and linguistics at the University of Texas at Austin, where she was selected as one of 12 Dean’s Distinguished Graduates in her graduating class. Gándara participated in the McNair Post- baccalaureate Achievement Program and conducted research on the sociology of language. She has worked for college readiness programs such as Gear Up and Upward Bound and experienced policymaking at both the federal level (through an internship with Rep. Roland Gutierrez of Texas in Washington, D.C.) and at the state level (working with the Senate Higher Education Committee). She currently serves as the junior graduate student representative for Division J of the American Educational Research Association. The Zell and Shirley Miller Graduate Fellowship was established to support doctoral study of significant issues in the field of higher education. The Miller Fellowship is awarded annually to a doctoral student in the Institute of Higher Education. The scholarly potential of the candidate together with an assessment of his/her academic record and professional achievement are considered in naming the recipient. The award supports the professional development of the recipient. Previous Miller fellows include Jennifer Rippner, Angie Bell, Stephanie Hazel, Austin Lacy, Yarbrah Peeples, and Barrett Taylor. Type of News/Audience: 2014 IHE Report
