Dr. Corina Benavides López

Dr. Benavides López is an award-winning Associate Professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies at CSU, Dominguez Hills. She earned her Ph.D. in Social Sciences and Comparative Education with a specialization in race and ethnic studies from the University of California, Los Angeles; a M.A. in education with emphasis in gender studies and higher education from Stanford University; a B.A. in Chicana/o Studies and B.A. in Women’s Studies with a Specialization in Education from UCLA; and an A.A. degree from Saddleback Community College. Before teaching Chicana and Chicano studies, Dr. Benavides López worked for years in the field of student affairs.

Her scholarly and teaching interests focus on Chicana/o/x and Latina/o/x education and immigration; Critical Race Theory (CRT); feminisms, gender and sexuality; higher education student affairs and cultural centers; and, ethnic & anti-racism coalition building. Her doctoral dissertation study, "Las Fronteras de Nuestra Educación (The Borderlands of our Education): Documenting the Pedagogies of Migration of Mexican and Chicana/o Undocumented Immigrant Households," documents the daily-lived and educational experiences of undocumented immigrant students and their families. As a critical race theorist, Dr. Benavides López is committed to educational scholarship, practice and pedagogy that promote transformative and emancipatory ideals and reflection on how race and racism impact the experiences of people of color in the U.S. Her work is published in a number of scholarly journals and anthologies including the Social Justice Review; Association of Mexican American Educators Journal; Latina/o College Student Leadership: Emerging Theory, Promising Practice; and The Chicana Motherwork Anthology: Porque Sin Madres no Hay Revolución. She has presented her research nationally at the National Association of Chicana and Chicano Studies (NACCS), the Critical Race Studies in Education (CRSE) national organization, the Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social (MALCS), the American Educational Research Association (AERA), and the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE).

As a member of the CSUDH community Dr. Benavides López supports first generation college students toward academic success and their pursuit of their post-baccalaureate goals. She serves/has served as a McNair Scholars program and Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellows advisor. She is a member of the CSUDH Undocumented Student Allies Coalition, assists with the campus annual CSUDH Día de los Muertos program, and is a Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) Safe Space Ally.

Dr. Benavides López is the recipient of Lyle E. Gibson Dominguez Hills Distinguished Teacher Award for her excellence in teaching and was an American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education faculty fellow. She was the recipient of the Exceptional Levels of Service award and has been recognized for her work in the areas of Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity by the CSUDH Office of the Provost for mentoring undergraduate students on scholarship and research. She is also the recipient of the CSUDH Marilyn Brady Presidential Excellence Award for Distinguished Service for her campus and community service and the Presidential Recognition Award for excellence in mentoring undergraduate students on scholarship and research.