We continue down the path of healing while weathering the storm of Title V defunding with colegas from Cal State LA. Our guests include Dra. Jessica Morales-Chicas, Co-PI of DHSI Grant, Reclaiming Pedagogy, Community and Student Success, and Wendy Vaughn, Project Director of the grant. They explain how their five-year grant, focused on faculty professional development to better serve the campus's predominantly Latine/x student population, was defunded and the ways they are sustaining the work. Our guests describe the impact of federal funding cuts to HSI grants, including the fear of job loss, significant stress on staff, and difficult conversations with the campus community. They also outline the ways they are actively working to institutionalize and sustain the program's initiatives beyond the grant period, including positioning some efforts within the provost's office. However, they face challenges in securing ongoing funding for all the program components. Despite the challenges, the team is finding hope and optimism in the transformative impacts they have seen so far and their determination to find ways to sustain the program's initiatives. They emphasize that HSIs will not die, but will rise to meet the challenge.

Jessica Morales-Chicas (she, her)

Professor and Co-PI of DHSI Grant, Reclaiming Pedagogy, Community and Student Success, CSULA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-morales-chicas/

Instagram: dr.morales_chicas

Wendi Vaughn (she, her)

Assistant Director, Pathway Programs and Project Director of the DHSI Reclaiming Grant, CSULA

LinkedIn: WendiLVaughn

Instagram: @iamwendiwithani | @wendilvaughn

APA Citation:

Garcia, G. A. (Host). (2026, March 15). Weathering the Storm to Sustain & Institutionalize HSI Work (No.705) [Audio podcast episode]. In ¿Qué pasa, HSIs?.

Show Notes:

• Dhillon Brar, M. Morales-Chicas, J., Morris, S., Rivera, I.*, Cannara, R. (2025). Intergroup dialogue empowering action for transforming equity in higher education. Education Sciences, 15(1), 1-38. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15010038
• Morales-Chicas, J., Ortiz, J., Tanimura, D. M., & Kouyoumdjian, C. (2023). Understanding Latino boys’motivation to pursue STEM while navigating school inequalities. Journal of Latinos and Education, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348431.2021.1944864
• Graham, S., Kogachi, K., & Morales-Chicas, J. (2022). Do I fit in: Race/ethnicity and feelings of belonging in school. Educational Psychology Review, 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-022-09709-x
• Morales-Chicas, J., Gomez, M., Gussman, M., & Kouyoumdjian, C. (2022). A cultural wealth approach to understanding Latin@ s’ STEM mentee and mentor experiences. Equity & Excellence in Education, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665684.2022.204741

In her book All About Love: New Visions bell hooks reminds us that “the search for love continues even in the face of great odds.” As the HSI community faces great odds amidst defunding and confusion, we must also create joy, love, and hope. Dra. Marla Lopez, inaugural director of the HSI Research Center at the University of Arizona, joins us for a vulnerable conversation about navigating loss and creating hope after federal funding cuts. We delve into the profound impact of HSI funding reprogramming, with Lopez sharing her personal experience of losing grants and highlighting how the loss extends beyond money—it affects lives, futures, and intellectual aspirations. Lopez describes how she's working through grief by naming it explicitly and resisting the urge to immediately fix everything, instead allowing time to sit with disappointment. We also highlight the importance of grieving in community and connecting with colleagues who share similar experiences. Despite the challenges, HSI work continues beyond federal funding, rooted in a critical understanding of what serving students means across different institutional contexts.

Guest:

Mara Nohemi Lopez (she, her, ella)

Director, HSI Research Center, University of Arizona

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmaralopez/

Instagram: @doctora.lopez

APA Citation:

Garcia, G.A. (Host). (2026, March 1). Creating Joy, Love, and Hope After HSI Defunding (No.704) [Audio podcast episode]. In ¿Qué pasa, HSIs?.

Show Notes:

• https://hsi.arizona.edu/person/mara-lopez-edd-ma
• https://ahsie.org/dr-mara-lopez
• The Power of Movement es Medicina: Defining Resilience with Dra. Mara Nohemi Lopez

In this episode we talk about all things Black Serving Institution (BSI), a new designation in California that creates a pathway for public and private colleges and universities to commit resources to advance the success of Black students. The designation requires campuses to demonstrate programs dedicated to Black student success, such as African-American studies and affinity spaces, as well as a track record of strong Black retention, transfer, and graduation rates. Dr. Keith Curry, president of Compton College, joins the conversation and tells us about how his freedom dream to create a BSI designation became reality. We discuss the ways BSIs can embrace servingness, the importance of upfront accountability and strategic planning compared to federal enrollment-based designations, and strategies for truly serving Black students rather than just enrolling them. We also highlight Compton College’s comprehensive approach to supporting all students' basic needs, including a housing project underway, another freedom dream becoming a reality for Dr. Curry. In this “riff” (as Dr. Curry uses) we talk about cross-racial collaboration and solidarity, as well as building relationships with external partners like donors, legislators, and the community to advance Black student success. This episode is for all our HSI, BSI, AANAPISI, and multi-designated listeners.

Guest:

Keith Curry (he, him)

President, Compton College

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/keith-curry-7285b46

Website: https://iamkeithcurry.org/

Show notes:

• New California bill seeks crucial funding for Black students
• California community college leader urges funding for Black-Serving Institutions grant program after bill stalls
• California bill would create ‘Black-Serving Institution’ designation
• Black California students want more support. A new law names colleges that serve them best
• SB 1348: Postsecondary education: Designation of California Black-Serving Institutions
• https://www.theeduledger.com/from-the-magazine/article/15747360/defining-servingness-at-blackserving-institutions

APA Citation:

Garcia, G. A. (Host). (2026, February 15). Dr. Keith Curry’s Freedom Dream: Becoming Black Serving Institutions (No.703) [Audio podcast episode]. In ¿Qué pasa, HSIs?.