Director of Equity Assessment and Evaluation, Division of Student Affairs and Success, University of California, Santa Cruz
Postdoctoral Scholar 2017-2021
Dr. Gwendelyn Rivera is the Director of Equity Assessment and Evaluation in the Division of Student Affairs and Success. She earned her Ph.D. in Human Development Psychology from the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Rivera is a mixed-methods researcher with a focus on how institutional policies and practices affect at promise students’ achievements and psychosocial outcomes.
Dr. Rivera has extensive experience in research and data analysis at large research institutions, previously serving as Research Project Administrator at the Pullias Center of Higher Education, University of Southern California, where she was a research team member on a longitudinal, mixed-method evaluation study of a comprehensive college transition program aimed at first-generation and low-income college students. Her applied and evaluation expertise stems from her work in offices of student affairs and institutional research and the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing. She has disseminated research findings for campus and community practitioners and university leadership. Dr. Rivera has published scholarly articles and peer-reviewed book chapters. She has presented her work at academic research conferences and practitioner conferences.
Dr. Rivera’s dedication to issues of college access, student success, and equity are driven from her experiences as a first-generation college graduate and immigrant.