In my research practice, I concentrate on identifying and asking urgent questions about systemic inequities such as racism, sexism and classism that marginalized communities continue to face as they transition to and through higher education.
Sarah L Rodriguez, Ph.D.
- Alum

Sarah Rodriguez is a proud East Texas native and A&M-Commerce alum! Her research addresses issues of fairness, access and retention in higher education, with a focus on community colleges, Latina/o/x students and students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in English and Spanish from A&M-Commerce after transferring from Trinity Valley Community College. She received her master’s degree with a focus in college student personnel from The University of Tennessee, and she holds a doctorate in higher education leadership from The University of Texas at Austin.
Educational Background
- Ph.D., Higher Education Leadership with concentration in Mexican American Studies, University of Texas at Austin, 2015
- M.S., Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2010
- B.A., English and Spanish, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2008
Research Interests
- Latina/o/x students in higher education
- Community colleges
- STEM identity and environments
Professional Organizations
- Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE)
- American Educational Research Association (AERA)
- American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE)
Selected Publications
Related News

TAMUC Faculty Rodriguez Collaborates to Secure Nearly $1M in Research Funding
Dr. Sarah Rodriguez, associate professor of higher education and learning technologies at A&M-Commerce, is teaming up with Miami Dade College and the University of Florida for nearly $1 million in funding from the National Science Foundation for work on the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Implementation and Evaluation Project: Artificial Intelligence for All. The project seeks […]

A&M-Commerce Faculty to Receive AAHHE Early Career Award
The American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) selected Dr. Sarah Rodriguez to receive the 2021 AAHHE Early Career Award. The award recognizes faculty and staff members who demonstrate commitment and promise in their scholarship and service to the Latinx higher education community. Rodriguez is an associate professor in the Department of Higher Education […]
A&M-Commerce faculty selected for Emerging Scholar award
Dr. Sarah Rodriguez, an associate professor of Higher Education & Learning Technologies at Texas A&M University-Commerce, has been selected as the 2020 recipient of the Barbara K. Townsend Emerging Scholar Award by the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC). This award recognizes a new scholar for outstanding theoretical and/or applied research that contributes […]
Dr. Sarah Rodriguez Awarded UCLA-Sponsored Grant
A&M-Commerce Professor Sarah L. Rodriguez has been awarded a $10,000 grant for her research project, “A Mixed Methods Study of the Experiences of Undergraduate Latina Students in Computing.” The grant has been sponsored by the Building, Recruiting and Inclusion for Diversity (BRAID) research initiative at UCLA. The BRAID project aims to increase the percentage of […]