Dr. Marcela G. Cuellar is an associate professor and chancellor’s fellow in the School of Education at the University of California, Davis. Her research examines Latinx/a/o students’ experiences and outcomes at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and emerging HSIs, campus climate, and community college baccalaureates. In 2022, she received the American Education Research Association’s Postsecondary Award from the Latinx Research Issues special interest group given her significant contributions to educational research. She is currently collaborating on several multicampus projects focused on educational equity and innovation, including Hispanic-Serving Research Institutions, community college bachelor’s degree programs, and the development of the HSI Research Colectiva, a multigenerational community of HSI researchers aiming to bridge, generate, and mobilize research about HSIs to inform policy decisions and improvements in practice.

In addition, she is dedicated to mentoring and supporting the next generation of scholars. As co-chair of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) Fellows Program, she supported pre-tenure Latinx/a/o scholars nationwide. She has received several awards for her advising and mentorship of Ph.D. and Ed.D. students, the majority who are Latinas and/or first-generation college students.

Cuellar’s commitment to higher education access and equity is deeply rooted in her personal and professional trajectory. Born and raised in Oxnard, she is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants and the youngest of six children. She attended Stanford University and earned bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Spanish. Her undergraduate experience inspired her to ensure more first-generation and low-income students had the opportunity to pursue a college education. She worked in educational outreach in the SF bay area and was an Upward Bound counselor in San Diego. She went on to earn a master’s in Higher Education Leadership from the University of San Diego and a PhD in Higher Education and Organizational Change from UCLA.