About Dr. González

As a self-identified first-generation queer, joto, Latinx scholar, Dr. Ángel de Jesus Gonzalez’s passion lies in making a difference in their comunidad through education. As a son of immigrant parents, Guadalupe y Miguel Ángel, partner to loving partner Luis, the brother to three sisters, a tio to seven nieces and nephews, his familia are the foundation and pillars of his success. 

Born and raised in South-East Los Angeles, like South Gate and Bell Gardens, California, Dr. González wants to empower individuals to reach their highest potential by fostering environments that advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. 
Dr. Gonzalez received their Ed.D. in Community College Leadership and M.A in Post-Secondary Educational Leadership with a Specialization in Student Affairs from San Diego State University (SDSU) and received a B.A. from Whittier College where he doubled majored in Environmental Science and Spanish. ​

Surviving & Thriving in Academia

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Dr. Gonzalez  is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Pullias Center for Higher Education at the Rossier School of Education, currently working on Refining Resources in Leadership Moves for Institutional Transformation funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

​Dr. González has worked across higher education and student affairs in various institutions and roles in both Washington and California, in particular the community college sector. His work on supporting the Latinx queer and trans community has been celebrated and acknowledged by a myriad of organizations. He was this year’s recipient of the NASPA Community College Division Research and Scholarship Award, ACPA’s Gender and Sexuality Coalition D.L. Stewart Research Award for their scholarship that advances queer and trans people of color well-being in community colleges and higher education. Most recently, Dr. González was awarded the 2021 American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) Inaugural Doctoral Student Award, the 2021 NASPA Region VI Graduate Rising Star Award, and the 2020 NASPA Latinx/a/o Knowledge Community Outstanding Doctoral Student award. Dr. Gonzalez was an inaugural Summer Pedagogy Fellow at The Center for Black, Brown, and Queer Studies (BBQ+) and a Adjunct Faculty at Fresno State University in the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership within the Kremen School of Education & Human Development.

​They have worked as researcher in various roles such as being lead Research Associate for the  Scholarship, Equity, & Mentorship via Intellectual Love & Leadership in the Academy for Success (SEMILLAS) Research Team and recently served as a Graduate Research Associate for the American Council on Education (ACE), one of the big 6 higher education associations in the nation.  

Research Expertise

Dr. González’s research agenda foci include three strands; 1) conditions, experiences, and outcomes in community colleges for minoritized students with an emphasis on LGBTQIA+ and Latinx students; 2) Latinx Leadership; and 3) racial equity policy implementation at community colleges. Ángel’s inquiry includes both qualitative and quantitative methods such as queer phenomenology, interviews, testimonio, focus group, queer chisme, critical policy analysis, descriptive analysis, survey design, and content analysis to name a few.

​In addition, Dr. Gonzalez was the Managing Editor for two academic journals, the Journal of Applied Research in the Community College (JARCC) and a special issue of the Education Policy Analysis Archives (EPAA). He currently sits on the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice (JSARP) editorial board, the Journal of College Student Development (JCSD) Research in Brief editorial board, and as a reviewer for the Community College Journal of Research and Practice (CCJRP), the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education (IJQSE). Recent scholarly accolades includes selection to the University of Texas at Austin, Project MALES Graduate Scholars Program, the TELACU Graduate Fellowship, and Diversity Fellow for the University of Michigan’s Summer Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). ​
In addition to his research and teaching, Dr. Gonzalez embodies his work in service. He serves as Board Member for Seattle LGBTQIA+ Latinx Organization, Entre Hermanos working to promote the health and well-being of the Latino Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and questioning community in a culturally appropriate environment through disease prevention, education, support services, advocacy, and community building. Similarly, he serves a Board Member for Whittier College’s Latinx Alumni Association as their Mentorship Chair, working collaboratively with the campus to advance Latinx/a/o student success. His passion to support the Latinx/a/o community is innate to their own lived experience which creates the catalyst that moves him forward to pave the way para lxs que siguen.