DR. MELISSA PATIÑO-VEGA
Dra. Melissa Patiño-Vega is a proud first-generation college Chicana who was raised in a low-income household in the small agricultural town of Patterson, California – located in the Central Valley. She is also proud to be the eldest daughter of Mexican immigrant farm workers, who with little to no education, made countless sacrifices and encouraged her to pursue higher education.
She became the first in her family to graduate from college, pursue a M.A., and earn a Ph.D. There are various factors that fuel her teaching and research including the Spanish language values deep-rooted by her family, students and community, the constant oppression and discrimination towards Chicanx and Latinx bilingual speakers in the U.S., the lack of representation, and the socioeconomic hardships experienced by her community.
As an educator and researcher, Dra. Patiño-Vega strives to mentor and advocate for students who share similar backgrounds as her own; she is committed to helping students thrive and achieve their aspirations in higher education.