TITLE:  Director, Academic Resource Center              Coordinator, Social Sciences Honors              Lecturer, Social Sciences              Office Phone: (949) 824-6298                Fax: (949) 824-1976                Email: castellj@uci.edu   VITA   ACADEMIC COURSES   PUBLICATIONS   CONSULTATIONS	Consultations   Dr. Castellanos has been invited to various institutions across the country (New Jersey, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois) to discuss racial ethnic minority student issues in higher education. The workshops and keynotes encompass discussion around ethnic values, higher education recruitment and retention, faculty training, and cultural competence. In addition, she has a series of Latina/o specific workshops which focus on Latina/o issues in higher education - all examining the college experience from a psychological, social, and cultural perspective. SPECIFIC KEYNOTES, WORKSHOPS, AND PRESENTATIONS INCLUDE: LATINA/OS' PATHWAY TO THE PH.D.: RECRUITMENT, RETENTION & DIRECTIVES This presentation addressed the Latina/o doctoral experiences at PWIs. The role of age, gender, Latinidad, and family were addressed in the context of completing a degree while preserving one's well-being. Reviewing nine student narratives, the presenters identified common themes and emergent patterns in the data. For example, unique challenges of doctoral students and their coping techniques (e.g., creating an educational family, cultural resurges, joining Latina/o graduate clubs, and finding a supportive mentor) were highlighted. Last, the implementation of a cultural competence model through a PSC framework was addressed. LATINAS: HER JOURNEY, HER FIGHT, HER DESTINY This keynote addressed Latinas' status in America and higher education. A historical overview was provided on Latinas' social status, their challenges, and means of resistance in relation to migration, acculturation, transition, and adjustment. Latinas' college experiences were also highlighted coupled with their cultural values and means for retention in the 21st century. DETOURED FROM THE EDUCATIONAL HIGHWAY This presentation was an elaborate discourse on racial ethnic minority undergraduate experiences at Predominant White Institutions (PWIs).  The presentation included a series of quotes identifying the various challenges students encounter and the resources that facilitate their retention and persistence. SYMPOSIUM ON RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF STUDENTS OF COLOR These workshops address the racial ethnic minority experiences in higher education. Specific data is presented from recent research conducted by Castellanos, her research colleague - Alberta Gloria, and a research team Dr. Castellanos oversees with UCI students. The workshops address the student experience from a psychosocialcultural perspective (Gloria Rodriguez, 2000) addressing campus climate, university structure, factors as motivation, self-esteem, social support, family, and cultural values. Specific recommendations are provided for student affair practitioners and faculty on how to better serve, recruit, and retain racial ethnic minority students at 4-year universities. RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITY STUDENTS: THEIR RESOURCEFULNESS & ITS CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS This workshop helps faculty and student affairs practitioners to better understand ethnic racial minority students - their ethnic values, families, needs, and means of balancing the education system with their personal lives. The faculty are challenged on their attitudes, teaching styles, and understanding of multiculturalism and cultural competence. Specific paradigms, teaching techniques, and retention strategies are introduced to assist faculty and other university staff in working with the new majority - ethnic racial minority students. LATINA/OS STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: LEADERSHIP, COMMUNITY LEADERS/SOCIAL ACTIVISM This keynote addresses the Latina/o student undergraduate experience. It discusses the role of the ancestors, their powerful role of setting the pathway for our younger generations, and the importance of community leadership. Main points of the speech include a historical overview of Latina/os in the US and higher education. Current times are also examined and means to enhance students' involvement, leadership, and overall satisfaction through self-exploration and group collaboration. Unique recommendations are presented to university professionals and student leaders for better retention and ultimately graduation. LATINA/O FACULTY IN HIGHER EDUCATION: RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION AT PWIs This presentation prompts a discourse identifying faculty representation, experiences, and retention. Main challenges reported by Latina/o faculty at PWIs are identified and universities' responses to their experiences highlighted. Specific successful program to better attend to Latina/o faculty experiences and efforts to successfully recruit and retain top quality faculty are identified. MENTORSHIP, GUIDANCE, AND RETENTION: RACIAL ETHNIC MINORITIES AT PWIs Mentorship is a key component to a quality college experience. It is well documented that mentorship has a positive impact on students' overall college experience, retention and overall life satisfaction. There are multiple types of mentorship relationships that a student can pursue and multiple levels of mentorship that can be offered. How does one cultivate a mentorship relationship and what are the qualities of a good mentorship relationship? Is there a natural mentorship process? How does one help the student to cultivate personal and professional skills to later become a scholar and ultimately a mentor in the later stages of their career?
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