Enhancing the Success of Latina Postdoctoral Scholars at Hispanic-Serving Institutions

While the number of Latina/o/e students entering higher education continues to grow, particularly among HSIs, the number of Latina/o/e faculty who can help support students and serve as role models has not grown at the same rate. Efforts to diversify faculty frame the issues around the low numbers of Latina/o/e doctoral students. However, Latina/o/e doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows in the pipeline often receive little mentorship for the competitive job market in academia. Therefore, this chapter examines Latina postdoc experiences at large HSIs and identifies supportive practices and structures that facilitate their advancement into faculty careers. The chapter draws from the collective testimonios of four Latina postdoctoral fellows at various HSIs to offer practical implications for developing a peer community within and across HSIs. Additionally, the chapter presents a Framework for Creating Collectivist Support Structures for Latina Postdocs that is grounded in Latina epistemologies and centered on collectivist support structures and a culture of caring to help support Latina’s transition into faculty positions. The framework includes three areas of support: (1) fostering academic growth for Latina scholars, (2) creating opportunities for professional/career development, and (3) building institutional support and community.