Elizabeth Vaquera

Dr. Elizabeth Vaquera joined GW in 2016 as the inaugural Director of the Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute and Associate Professor of Sociology and Public Policy and Public Administration. Vaquera's research focuses on vulnerable and diverse groups, particularly Latinos/as and immigrants. Her work has analyzed the character and importance of immigrant status, race, and ethnic identity in outcomes such as education, health, and emotional and social well-being. In her role as Director of the Cisneros Institute, Vaquera translates this work by designing and leading programs for high-achieving Hispanic students at the pre-college and university level. In addition to an extensive body of work published in leading peer-reviewed journals, Vaquera is the co-author of several books, the most recent of which, Education and Immigration, examines the educational experiences of immigrants and their children living in the U.S. She is also the recipient of several federal grants by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. A native of Barcelona, Dr. Elizabeth Vaquera received her doctorate in Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania. When not working on research projects or meeting with Cisneros Scholars, she can be found at home binging on episodes of Jane the Virgin.