USC Rossier and Pullias Center Assistant Professor Dr. Adrián H. Huerta has been selected as a 2024 co-winner of the prestigious Anna Julia Cooper Early Career Award by the Sociology of Education section of the American Sociological Association.
The award recognizes “exceptional research and/or service in efforts to address racial equity within the field of sociology of education.” The selection committee noted that it was ‘…Impressed by [Dr. Huerta’s] strong publication record addressing important and timely work at the intersection of education and juvenile justice, [his] mentoring record, and [his] engagement in public-facing work advancing goals of equity and inclusion for men and youth of color.’
“I am humbled to receive this prestigious recognition for my scholarly contributions to the field,” stated Dr. Huerta. “I hope that my research contributes to reframing how educators treat gang-involved children and that school personnel encourage these kids to reach their potential.”
Dr. Huerta’s research and practice focus on supporting marginalized communities, such as men of color, gang-involved children and former/inactive gang members, with a pathway to higher education. Currently, he is the co-principal investigator of the Long Beach City College (LBCC) Phoenix Scholars, a research-practice partnership between LBCC and the Pullias Center that is designed to increase college access and success for young people who are or have been, involved/impacted by local gangs. The goal is to support young people in developing a path out of gangs and instead into postsecondary education to earn a two-year college degree, certificate, or credential.
In addition, Dr. Huerta serves as co-PI on the College Futures Foundation Baccalaureate Program Study. In partnership with UCLA and UC Davis, this study will create a racial equity framework for select California Community College Baccalaureate Degree Programs, focusing on racial equity in academic and labor market outcomes.
Dr. Huerta’s research has been funded by the U.S. Department of Education, ECMC Foundation, and the University of Wisconsin - Institute for Research on Poverty/JPB Foundation and totals over $2 million. His scholarship appears in Community College Review, Journal of College Student Development, The Review of Higher Education, Journal of the First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, Teachers College Record, The Urban Review, Urban Education, and other practitioner and scholarly journals.
He was selected as the winner of the prestigious Early Career Award by the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) in 2022, named a 2022-2024 National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, and is a past receipt of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Minority Dissertation Fellowship.
