Dr. Patricia A. Pérez is a professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies at California State University, Fullerton, where she has also served in leadership roles such as Associate Dean for Faculty in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. With a career spanning both research and student affairs, she has worked at institutions including UCLA, Stanford University, and UC Santa Barbara, focusing on educational access and leadership development for underrepresented communities. Her teaching and scholarship draw on critical and feminist frameworks to examine Chicana/o and Latina/o education, migration, and gender.

She earned her B.A. in Chicana/o Studies from UCLA, an Ed.M. in Education from Harvard University, and both an M.A. and Ph.D. in Higher Education and Organizational Change from UCLA. Her areas of expertise include higher education equity, Latina/o student access and persistence, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and the role of race, gender, and immigrant status in shaping educational opportunities. Through her research, community engagement, and mentorship, Dr. Pérez has become a recognized voice in advancing equity and opportunity in U.S. education.