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Dr. Peña earned her Ph.D. in Education with a concentration in Higher Education in 2007 from the University of Southern California (USC).  After teaching graduate level courses at USC for several years, Dr. Peña joined the California Lutheran University (CLU) faculty in 2009. As an Assistant Professor in Higher Education Leadership at CLU, Dr. Peña teaches a number of research methods and content courses in the area of higher education.  She also chairs dissertations for Doctor of Education students.  Her research currently focuses on social justice issues for ethnic/racial minorities and students with disabilities, particularly autism, in higher education.

Please visit www.dredlynpena.com for more information on research and resources.

Education

• Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Southern California
• M.Ed. in Postsecondary Education and Student Affairs from the University of Southern California
• B.A. in Psychology with Highest honors from the University of California at Santa Cruz

Expertise

• Students with disabilities in postsecondary education, including students with autism spectrum disorder
• Equity and inclusion for students of color
• Action research/collaborative inquiry in higher education
• Faculty development
• Development and support of doctoral students

Publications

Journal Articles

• Peña, E.V. & Kocur, J. (under review). Parenting experiences in supporting the transition of students with autism spectrum disorders into community college.  Journal of Applied Research in Community Colleges.

• Peña, E.V.  (in press). Marginalization of published scholarship on students with disabilities in journals of higher education.  Journal of College Student Development.

• *Hoffman, J. & Peña, E.V. (in press).  How lived experiences affect ethnic identity development for transracial Korean American adoptees: Theoretical and practical implications for higher education.  Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice.

• *Carrasco Nungaray, M. & Peña, E.V. (in press).  Faculty institutional agents at community colleges.  Journal of Applied Research in Community Colleges.

• Peña, E.V. (2012).  Faculty development aimed at redressing inequitable educational outcomes: Using inquiry methods for critical consciousness and self-change.  Review of Higher Education, 36 (1), 69-92.

• Jimenez y West, I., Gokalp, G., Peña, E.V., Fischer, L. & Gupton, J. (2011).  Exploring effective support practices for doctoral students’ degree completion.  College Student Journal, 45 (2), 310-323.

• Peña, E.V., Colyar, J. & Bensimon, E. M.  (2006).  Contextual problem-defining: Learning to think and act from the standpoint of equity.  Liberal Education, 92 (2), 48-55.

• Bensimon, E. M., Polkinghorne, D. E., Bauman, G., & Vallejo, E.  (2004). Doing research that makes a difference.  Journal of Higher Education, 75(1), 104-132.

*Articles noted with an asterisk are co-authored with doctoral students

Book Chapters

• Peña, E.V. & Polkinghorne, D.E. (2012).  Evaluating the Equity Scorecard project: The participants' points of view.  In E.M. Bensimon & L. E. Malcom (Eds.) Confronting Equity Issues on Campus: Implementing the Equity Scorecard in Theory and in Practice.  Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

• Peña, E.V., Harris, F. & Bensimon, E. M. (2012).  The Equity Scorecard: Chronicling the change process. In E.M. Bensimon & L. E. Malcom (Eds.) Confronting Equity Issues on Campus: Implementing the Equity Scorecard in Theory and in Practice.  Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

• Palucki-Blake, L., Peña, E.V. et. al. (2012). Faculty learning and reflection from student interviews.  In E.M. Bensimon & L. E. Malcom (Eds.) Confronting Equity Issues on Campus: Implementing the Equity Scorecard in Theory and in Practice.  Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Book Reviews

• Peña, E.V. (2012).  Review: Disability and Campus Dynamics: New Directions for Higher Education.  Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 25(2), 203-205.

• Vallejo, E. (2004).  Review: Colegio Cesar Chavez, 1973-1983: A Chicano struggle for self-determination.  Aztlan, 29(1), 311-313.

Other Publications & Creative Works

• Peña, E.V. (2011).  Finding Diego.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUoBM-l2nRA

• Peña, E. V. & Mondschein, H. (2011). Sage Research Methods Online (SRMO): Sample classroom assignments. Retrieved from http://srmo.sagepub.com/page/facultyresources