Cristóbal Rodriguez, PhD

Associate Provost for Equity-Centered Initiatives in Academic Affairs 
Western Michigan University

Cristóbal Rodríguez is the Associate Provost for Equity-Centered Initiatives in Academic Affairs at Western Michigan University. Being born and raised in the Texas Borderlands of El Paso under hard-working immigrant parents from Mexico, and studying in Germany as a U.S. Congress-German Bundestag scholar has shaped the world views and research of Dr. Rodríguez, along with his PhD. studies in Education Policy and Planning with a portfolio in Mexican American Studies at The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Rodríguez’ research highlights the need for systemic equity and culturally responsive leadership and policy across the education system.

In 2016, Dr. Rodríguez was recognized with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Faculty Honors and was honored as the 2019 José A. Cárdenas School Finance Fellow with the Intercultural Development Research Association to collaborate on school finance, equity, and college readiness for Black and Latina/o/x students. Prior to his current role since 2021, Dr. Rodríguez spent 5 years as an Assistant Professor at New Mexico State University, his BA and MA alma mater and Hispanic Serving Institution; with an additional 7 blessed years thereafter at Howard University in Washington, DC, a top Historically Black College/University, as an Associate Professor and as the Director of Graduate Studies of the School of Education.

Dr. Rodríguez was elected to a three-year term to the Executive Committee of University Council for Educational Administration in 2019 and was appointed in 2021 to the Board of Directors for the American Association for Hispanics in Higher Education. Most recently Dr. Rodríguez was appointed by President Biden to serve on the President’s Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics and Latinos. 

“We have a great responsibility to connect the dots from our work in leadership and policy through research, teaching, and service, in order to improve opportunity and equity for all.”