This bi-weekly podcast is dedicated to uplifting Latinx/a/o students, administrators, faculty, and stakeholders in higher education. La Profesora, Dra. Michelle Espino Lira, focuses on the ways in which we can uplift our gente to and through higher education so we can all thrive.
Ep 55 La Profesora shares the often unseen process behind publishing academic work as a Latina scholar in higher education. Reflecting on her latest publication, La Profesora shares the journey of writing, mentoring, setbacks, and personal challenges that shaped the manuscript over the course of three years and 148 hours of dedicated work. From balancing teaching, advising, and community action to…
Ep. 54 La Profesora turns the spotlight on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where a sweeping new budget proposal threatens to eliminate the Department of Educational Administration (EDAD)—the only department in the state dedicated to preparing educational leaders. Joined by Dra. Crystal Garcia, we unpack the personal and professional toll of fighting for a department's survival, the problematic…
Ep. 53 La Profesora discusses the urgent challenges facing Latinx/e and marginalized communities today. She shines a light on pressing issues such as the ongoing crisis in Palestine, the targeting of Black leaders and communities in major cities, and the troubling dismantling of DEI initiatives and social programs in higher education. With honesty and vulnerability, La Profesora acknowledges our…
Ep. 52 As La Profesora, Dra. Michelle Espino Lira, slowly returns to the podcasting space, we thought it would be helpful to talk about the daunting world of doctoral program admissions. In this Sidenote, La Profesora offers invaluable insights and practical tips for making informed decisions about your doctoral journey to and through Higher Education & Student Affairs doctoral programs. This…
Ep 51 This episode is dedicated to Mrs. Ramona Espino, who was and remains a brilliant light in La Profesora's heart. La Profesora talks about what it means to live in, through, and around grief. Through this profound loss, there lies opportunity for deep reflection about "being as doing". So often, life on these academic streets is a flurry of activity--always on to the next project, the next…
It's a Back in the Day Replay, ya'll! La Profesora is giving flowers to Dra. Melissa Abeyta, the creator and host of the Scholar Homies Podcast: The Story is to be Told, Not Sold, Conversations with the Soul. We talk about her transition to the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, the legacy she is building alongside her colegxs y Scholar Homies , Dr. Anacany Torres, Dr. Oscar Duran, and…
Wow, ya'll! We're kicking off Season 7 by celebrating 50 episodes that showcase the amazing work that our gente are doing in higher education! We have a special guest host, future Dra. Nancy Camarillo who offers fantastic reflection questions for La Profesora . Our conversations takes us back to the early days of the podcast, lessons learned, and even some things that you didn't know about our…
La Profesora is coming back, ya'll! Thank you for your patience and support! As we prepare for a new season of the podcast, we want to give a shout out to an amazing scholar who is holding it down in the podcasting world: Dra. Gina Garcia ! We were fortunate to have Dra. Garcia on the show in Episode 10: Beyond the HSI Designation con Dr. Andrés Castro Samayoa. We are excited about her new…
Ep 49 This episode is a tribute to all the student affairs practitioners out there who went beyond the "other duties as assigned" at the start of COVID-19. Student Affairs practitioners had to pivot and find a way out of no way to offer support and resources to students, especially those most in need. None of you have been compensated enough for your efforts! La Profesora talks with the newly…
Ep 48 It is with so much sorrow in my heart that I post this episode. I do not want to lose hope. The Black community in Buffalo deserves everything we have. The Taiwanese parishioners in Santa Ana deserve everything we have. The children and teachers who were murdered in Uvalde deserve everything we have. Every victim of gun violence deserves everything we have. Not one more. My partner and…