Mariana (she/her) is a doctoral candidate in the School Organization and Educational Policy track with a designated emphasis in Feminist Theory and Research. Before coming to UC Davis, Mariana studied Education Sciences and Public Health at UC San Diego and conducted education research under the mentorship of Dr. Frances Contreras. Currently, Mariana is a member of Dr. Natalia Caporale’s Equity in STEM Education lab.

Her research interests include higher education equity, particularly programs and policies focused on the retention and success of first-generation Students of Color and Chicanx/Latinx students. She uses Chicana feminist and Critical Race theoretical perspectives/methodologies to guide her work. 

In her dissertation, Mariana highlights the experiences of first-generation Latina college students at research-intensive institutions participating in undergraduate research (UR) programs.