Prior to joining the University of Redlands, I was a postdoctoral scholar with the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at UCLA and the lead researcher on a mixed methods project examining the college experiences of high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds. I also have professional experience with academic advising, intergroup dialogue, and student-initiated outreach programs.

Peer-reviewed Journals

Ruiz Alvarado, A., Stewart-Ambo, T., & Hurtado, S. (2020). High school and college choice factors associated with high-achieving low-income students’ college degree completion. Education Sciences, 10(6), 153.

Ruiz Alvarado, A., & Olson, A.B. (Accepted, expected December 2020). Examining the relationship between college advising and student outputs: A content analysis of the NACADA Journal. NACADA Journal.

Rogers, M.L., & Ruiz Alvarado, A. (Accepted, expected spring 2021). Let's talk about class: Exploring social class identity through intergroup dialogue. In S. Ardoin and G.L. Martin (Eds.) Social class supports: Examples of programs and practices to serve poor and working class students in higher education. Stylus Publications.

Hurtado, S., Ruiz Alvarado, A., & Guillermo-Wann, C. (2015). Thinking about race: The salience of racial identity at two and four-year colleges and the climate for diversity. Journal of Higher Education, 86(1), 127-155.

Hurtado, S., Ruiz Alvarado, A., & Guillermo-Wann, C. (2015). Creating inclusive environments: The mediating effect of faculty and staff validation on the relationship of discrimination/bias to students’ sense of belonging. Journal for Social Change on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education, 1(1), online.

Fuentes, M., Ruiz Alvarado, A., Berdan, J., & DeAngelo, L. (2014). Mentorship matters: Does early faculty contact lead to quality faculty interaction? Research in Higher Education, 55(3), 288-307.

Book Chapters

Ruiz Alvarado, A., & Hurtado, S. (2015). Campus climate, intersectional identities, and institutional support among Mexican American college students. In R.E. Zambrana & S. Hurtado (Eds.). The magic key: The educational journey of Mexican-Americans from K-12 and to college and beyond (Ch.8, pp.168-189). Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.

Hurtado, S., & Ruiz Alvarado, A. (2015). Realizing the potential of Hispanic Serving Institutions: Multiple dimensions of organizational transformation. In A.M. Nuñez, S. Hurtado, & E. Calderon Galdeano (Eds.) Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Advancing research and transformative practice (Ch.2, pp.25-45). New York, NY: Routledge.

Ruiz Alvarado, A., & Hurtado, S. (2015). Salience at the intersection: Latina/o identities across different campus contexts. In D.J. Davis, R.J. Brunn, & J.L. Olive (Eds.) Intersectionality in education research (Ch.3, pp.48-67). Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, LLC.

Additional Professional Publications

Hurtado, S. & Ruiz Alvarado, A. (2015). Discrimination and bias, underrepresentation, and sense of belonging on campus. Los Angeles, CA: Higher Education Research Institute.

*This brief was used as evidence in the Amicus Brief of Social Scientists for the Supreme Court Case of Fisher vs. The University of Texas.

Hurtado, S. & Ruiz Alvarado, A. (2013). Diversity in teaching and learning: Affirming students as empowered learners. Diversity & Democracy: Civic Learning for Shared Futures, 16(3), 7-9

Hurtado, S., Ruiz, A., & Whang, H. (2012). Advancing and assessing civic learning: New results from the Diverse Learning Environments Survey. Diversity & Democracy: Civic Learning for Shared Futures, 15(3), 10-12.

Ruiz, A. (2012). Toward an understanding of who leaves, when they leave, and where they go. Proceedings of the 8th Annual National Symposium on Student Retention. New Orleans, LA.

Hurtado, S., & Ruiz, A. (2012). The climate for underrepresented groups and diversity on campus. Los Angeles, CA: Higher Education Research Institute. *This brief was used as evidence in the Amicus Brief of Social Scientists for the Supreme Court Case of Fisher vs. The University of Texas.

Ruiz, A., & Pryor, J.H. (2011). Assessing the climate for transfer at two and four-year institutions: How understanding diverse learning environments can help repair the pipeline. College and University, 87(1), 2-6.

Conference Presentations

Ruiz Alvarado, A., & Olson, A.B. (2020, April). Identity matters: Supporting the intersection of personal and professional identity. NACADA Region IX Conference, Palm Springs, CA. https://nacada.ksu.edu/Community/Regions/Region-9/Schedule.aspx (Conference canceled). 

Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE)

American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE)

American Educational Research Association (AERA)

Awards and Honors

AAHHE/ETS, Outstanding Dissertation Award (2016)

UC/ACCORD, Dissertation Fellow (2013-2014)

UCLA Division of Higher Education and Organizational Change, Philip N. Clark Memorial Award (2013)

UCLA, Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Program (2011)

Grants

Ruiz Alvarado, A. (2019-2020). University of Redlands Instructional Technology Services Faculty Technology Grant, Flipping Educational Research, $3000.

Olson, A.B., & Ruiz Alvarado, A. (2020). NASPA Region VI Research & Assessment Grant, Student Affairs Professional Identity: The Role of Social Identity in Professional Socialization and the Development of Professional Identity, $1000.

Ruiz Alvarado, A. (2019, November). Reflecting on our response to conflict. Workshop presented as part of the University of Redlands Staff and Administrators Assembly Professional Development Series, Redlands, CA.