Graduate Scholars-in-Residence Program

The Graduate Scholars-in-Residence Program at El Centro Chicano y Latino was established in 1998 and was designed to foster a vibrant, interdisciplinary intellectual community among Chicana/o/x/e-Latina/o/x/e graduate students at Stanford. The program is also designed to identify graduate student mentors for Stanford undergraduates.

Each year, El Centro Chicano y Latino selects a cohort of eight doctoral students from different Departments, Programs, and Schools with office space and a community where they can support one another and exchange ideas. In exchange, the Graduate Scholars are expected to spend time in their office space, give one research presentation for the community, and help to guide undergraduates in their academic pursuits and/or plans for graduate studies.

The Graduate Scholars-in-Residence also generously supported by the Charlene J. Porras Graduate Scholar-in-Residence Award each year.

"El Centro was critical to my dissertation writing process. It provided the academic and moral support to think through my research and complete my dissertation while navigating the job market."

Maribel Santiago, Ph.D.
Graduate Scholar-in-Residence Alumna
Assistant Professor, Department of Teacher Education, Michigan State University

2024-2025 Graduate Scholars-in-Residence

Javier Omar

Doctoral Candidate, Developmental & Psychological Sciences, Graduate School of Education

¡Hola! Mi nombre es Javier Omar (He/Him), and I am originally from Miami, Florida. I am a fourth-year PhD candidate in Developmental and Psychological Sciences at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. Prior to Stanford, I taught secondary science in the San Antonio Independent School District and received my BS in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology and BA in Human Health from Emory University.

Growing up as the son of two working-class Cuban immigrants, as the youngest of three siblings, and as the only natural-born citizen in my family, I witnessed firsthand how systems, namely our education system, afforded certain students opportunities and privileges and consistently failed to meet the basic needs of the most vulnerable communities. This realization fuels my current scholarly work and motivates me to enter, disrupt, and thrive in spaces that were historically designed (and continue) to systematically exclude minoritized communities.

My research leverages mixed methods, strengths-based, and community-based participatory approaches to examine the social-emotional and psychosocial development of culturally and linguistically diverse children. My current work is situated within the Stanford-San Francisco Unified School District Partnership. It broadly focuses on assessing social-emotional development across a diverse cohort of preschoolers and examining the role of teacher beliefs and biases on social-emotional learning practices and student outcomes. Additionally, I am currently involved in a multi-institution, community-driven project focused on developing a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the psychosocial development of Latine immigrant youth that accounts for the long-term impacts of structural violence along with protective processes linked to identity, family, community, and culture.

I am excited to continue engaging with Centro through my role as a GSR and happy to chat with folks about K-12 teaching, Cuban food (especially tostones and yuca frita), undergraduate research, and academic transitions (e.g., moving away from STEM towards the social sciences, transitioning out of the pre-med track, graduate school, etc.).

Centro has allowed me to center my full authentic and vulnerable self and broadened/strengthened my sense of belonging and community. I deeply appreciate the intentionality and love put into ensuring Centro is a space where all folks feel seen and cared for.

Mercedes Martinez Milantchi

Doctoral Candidate, Department of Anthropology, School of Humanities & Science

My name is Mercedes (she/her/ella) and I am a Puerto Rican anthropologist with a background working as an archaeologist and curator pursuing a PhD in Anthropology here at Stanford. I grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico and completed a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in Archaeological Studies and an Erasmus Mundus masters in ARCHaeological MATerials Sciences (University of Evora, Sapienza University and Aristotle University). Prior to joining Stanford, I worked as a curator at the Santo Domingo Centre of Excellence for Latin American research at the British Museum for almost four years where I ran the artist residency program and collaborated on research projects across Latin America (Colombian Amazon, Tierra del Fuego, Paraguayan Chocó, Bolivian Yungas, Peruvian Andes and more). At the museum, we focused on addressing the painful histories behind collections and emphasized the voices of descendant communities. As part of the small team of Latinx women, we aimed to mobilize heritage and research for social justice.

Following these experiences, I have focused my doctoral research at the intersection of the politics of the past, Indigeneity and neoliberal land transformations. Specifically, I am interested in how archaeology, or more broadly heritage, is mobilized by different actors to fashion new relationships to land, ancestry and the past in the midst of new tax breaks in Puerto Rico for wealthy US individuals and business to settle on the island. Different waves of land dispossession have defined massive migration and feelings of belonging in Puerto Rico since Spanish colonization in the 16th century until Puerto Rico’s current murky status of an unincorporated territory controlled by a US appointed fiscal control board. Therefore, this project is concerned with how the recovery of a distant past can be recalled in the present for contemporary political goals and for the revival of traditions.

Please come and chat with me about working in museums, archaeology, anthropology, contemporary art, Puerto Rico/Caribbean, etc.

Stanford is not designed for all students, and I really appreciate el Centro as a space for community building, as a bulwark against social injustice and most importantly, as a small pocket of resistance within an elite institution.

Ed'd Luna Bhagwandeen

Doctoral Candidate, Race, Inequality, and Language in Education (RILE), Graduate School of Education

The child of an immigrant father from rural Zacatecas, México and a fiercely independent mother de raíces Chihuahuenses, I grew up in La Habra, California. The northernmost corner of Orange County untouched by freeways, it’s now a suburb that commemorates the region’s agrarian history with an annual Corn Festival even though the fields that my grandparents’ generation remembered have long since been given over to real estate developers. I was first presented with the history of my hometown–where an elder cousin of mine still serves as perennial mayor–in my middle school’s centennial yearbook. In it, photographs of my grandfather, other Mexican children, and segregated drinking fountains appear on a sepia-toned centerfold. And in a reprint of the student behavior code, a prohibition on the use of Spanish on school grounds calls out from decades past agnostic to the transgenerational consequences of restrictive language policies on families like mine.

My name is Ed’d Luna Bhagwandeen (they/them), and I’m a PhD student in the Race, Inequality & Language in Education program in the Graduate School of Education. I’m a first generation college student, and I study how student-figures (prescribed ways of being and knowing for children) are developed in schools and concretized through teacher education practices. Antes de llegar a Estánfor, I was a librarian in public, college, and K-12 settings before becoming a bilingual elementary school teacher in charge of dual language immersion and newcomer program development for public schools.

Ask me about organizing your electronic documents or how to approach reading research papers si te dan ansia. Or better yet, challenge me to get through a conversation without relating everything back to libraries. You can also talk to me about language and identity and why we might encounter *all the feels* while trying to relate to each other through either (HINT: I will blame schooling). But if you’d rather make an appointment with CAPS (HINT: do it) for that, talk to me about camping and exploring California! You can also ask me about how to be a parent while in grad school (again), but honestly, I’m still figuring that out day by day.

I first came to El Centro looking for a place to commiserate, socialize, and figure out problem sets with my colegas after a particularly brutal statistics section. At the time, much of El Centro was still in boxes in the middle of reopening from distance learning, but Margaret and the then-GSRs rearranged tables, found whiteboards, and brought in snacks so we could do our work. It’s my sincere hope que entre todos, we can keep El Centro just as welcoming as six PhD students found it to be that day and make it a place that might continually accommodate the work of generations who will follow us at this institution.

Elena Martinez

Doctoral Candidate, Institute for Computational & Mathematical Engineering (ICME)

My parents were raised in adobe houses without electricity, gas, and running water. With perseverance, they found their way from Presidios, Durango, and Tacambarro, Michoacan, to East Los Angeles, CA. They later moved to Monterey Park, where I was raised. Spanish is my first language, but I consider mathematics as my second. While entering school as a limited English speaker came with challenges, mathematics provided me with greater fortitude, self-confidence, and an increased desire to learn. This desire has led me to pursue my PhD in computational and mathematical engineering (CME). I am now entering my third year and conducting research in Stanford’s Cardiovascular Biomechanics Computation Lab, developing mathematical models to support pediatric surgery.

I graduated from Loyola Marymount University (LMU) where I double majored in computer science and applied mathematics. At LMU, a tight-knit community taught me the importance of unity, support, and mentorship. I have been blessed to have such amazing mentors, without whom I would not be where I am today. I look forward to passing along the encouragement, resources, and advice my mentors shared with me. Being part of El Centro has meant joining a diverse comunidad of authentic people who are aspiring to do and be themselves while encouraging others to do the same. I am very excited to enter my second year as a GSR and I look forward to supporting undergraduate students in any way I can: applying to graduate school, finding internships, finding balance while managing a busy schedule, transitioning to college life, or just by being a friend.

Marina Machado

Doctoral Candidate, Comparative Literature, School of Humanities & Sciences

Olá! Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, I am a proud Black queer woman who stepped into the U.S. for the first time in September 2021 to begin my PhD in Comparative Literature at Stanford. In Brazil, I double majored in Portuguese and Ancient Greek at the University of São Paulo and worked as a volunteer teacher of literature and writing for low-income Black students navigating entrance exams for Brazilian universities.

The key idea that kept me intrigued during undergrad and drove me to pursue a PhD was the relationship between literature and national identities in Latin America and, more specifically, in Brazil. At the university, we would read many texts aimed to help us think about the roots of Brazilian literature and many with complicated Ancient Greek terms. I wondered what features made a piece of literature belong to certain cultural traditions and if the recurrent mention of the Ancient Greek “classical” tradition was really the way to help me tackle the complexities of the Brazilian identi(ties) in literature. I noticed, then, a common aspect not sufficiently examined by the critics: the role of racial miscegenation in Brazilian novels in the 19th and 20th centuries. Currently, I work analyzing the representation of mixed-race people in novels, mainly in Brazil, the U.S, Cuba and Mexico. I am also a very passionate teacher and a co-creator of the Black Brazilian Collective on campus.

Since moving to the U.S, I’ve been a practitioner of many hobbies, such as hiking, backpacking, snowboarding, painting and listening to music (especially samba, blues and bossa nova) and an advocate for work-life balance. Please come and chat with me about hobbies, adjusting to academic life, work-life balance, academic writing, applying to grad school, queerness, blackness, being an international student and much more! Stanford is not an inclusive space for marginalized folks and at El Centro I’ve always found a place in which I could breath and release the tension stored in my body. I hope to contribute to creating a healthy and inclusive space for all.

Jeffrey Sanchez

Doctoral Candidate, Religious Studies, School of Humanities & Sciences

I was born and raised in Texas. I am first-gen and Mexican American. I completed my bachelor's in Sociology with a minor in Religious Studies from Texas State University. Before joining Stanford, I earned a Master of Arts in Religious Studies from the University of Chicago Divinity School, along with a graduate certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies and Gender and Sexuality Studies. I am currently a graduate student in the Religious Studies department within the subfield of American Religion and a CCSRE minor.

My research focuses on the botanica, those small family-owned stores dotting Latinx neighborhoods that sell spiritual materials and services across the United States. I argue that within the four walls of a botanica lay the best way to write a history of US Latinx religiosity. By telling these stories, we may be able to rethink the subfield of American religion and center the people known as ‘Latinx’ within a much longer historical frame in the United States.

You may remember me from last year in my position as a staff member either planning events or making coffee. I am so excited to continue being a part of El Centro in a new role as a GSR and love how much knowledge and history are embedded within this space.

Ask me about healing/self-care/mindfulness, religion, cults, plants, dreams, ghost stories, or a reality TV show that I should begin watching. I can also help with applications or essays!

Clarissa Gutierrez

Doctoral Candidate, Developmental and Psychological Sciences, Graduate School of Education

My name is Clarissa Gutierrez (she/her/ella) and I was born and raised in Los Angeles. My mother is from a pueblo in Estado de México and my father is from a rural town in Guerrero, México. As the eldest (grand)daughter on both sides of my family and a first-generation student, I hope to honor my family’s migration story and the sacrifices my elders have made across borders and generations.

During my time as an undergraduate at Stanford (‘20), I studied Psychology and Latinx Studies and completed an honors thesis in Education. Upon graduating, I worked for two years as a lab manager at a social psychology research center called Stanford SPARQ, where I supported various research-practice partnerships combating racial bias and disparities in education, criminal justice, and media+tech. This experience deepened my commitment to leveraging community-engaged psychology to bridge the gap between research and practice and to foster educational equity for multiply marginalized youth. Currently, I am a third-year PhD student in the Developmental and Psychological Sciences program at the Graduate School of Education. My interdisciplinary program of research takes an ecological approach and examines how school, family, community, and other sociocultural contexts influence the academic and psychological well-being of first-generation and/or racially minoritized students. I ultimately hope to use my research to build equitable, culturally affirming classrooms and campuses that allow diverse student communities to thrive.

Compassionate mentorship and community-building have been central to my academic journey. In undergrad, I was a Resident Assistant for the Leland Scholars Program and an Ethnic Theme Associate in Casa Zapata. As a graduate student, I have enjoyed being a Montoya Scholars Program mentor, a co-director of the Resilient 1stGen student organization, and a mentor for a Latinx undergraduate psychology research team. Committed to making others feel seen and heard, I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a GSR and contribute to the uplifting environment El Centro beautifully cultivates. I deeply appreciate El Centro for providing a restorative space for many students and empowering folks to show up as their full authentic selves. I’m so excited to meet you all–please come visit and let’s chat about all things grad school, mindfulness/mental health, and baking!

Xavi Luis Burgos

Doctoral Candidate, Graduate School of Education

Xavi Luis Burgos is a Ph.D. student at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education, researching the pedagogical, political, and prophetic histories and strategies of Caribbean communities, with a focus on African diasporic religious traditions. A longtime educator, writer, organizer, artist, and curator, Xavi’s work includes developing and directing educational programming utilizing public art, film, poetry, photography, and popular education on radical histories, community organizing, LGBTQAI cultures, Caribbean religions, and sexual health. He co-founded the ¡Humboldt Park NO SE VENDE! campaign, which worked to assemble resources and agitate consciousness of gentrification in Chicago.

He served on the board of Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation, one of Chicago’s largest affordable housing developers. He co-developed, curated, and moderated the Afrorriqueñes symposium, exploring Afro-puertorriqueñidad between Puerto Rico and Chicago. He was Editor-in-Chief of Que Ondee Sola, and published essays in Gozamos, La Voz del Paseo Boricua, Claridad, and 80 grados. Xavi is the co-founder and former Editor-in-Chief of La Respuesta, a publication that cultivated bridges between the diverse communities of the Puerto Rican Diáspora.

2023-2024 Graduate Scholars-in-Residence

Alexia Hernandez

Doctoral Candidate, Department of Linguistics, School of Humanities & Sciences

Hello! My name is Alexia and I’m a fourth year PhD candidate in Linguistics. Growing up speaking Spanish and attending a Spanish immersion elementary school, I became particularly interested in language when my family settled in a rural Vermont town of 800 people. In middle school, I opted to take Latin and continued studying Classics throughout high school, including during a year-long study abroad program in Italy, where I focused on Latin, Ancient Greek, and Italian. At Princeton, I discovered the field of linguistics and never looked back. Through my research program at Stanford, I’ve dedicated myself to the study of Hispanic accents and the biases and stereotypes they can activate.

Because of my Cuban heritage and field work in Miami, FL, I love to talk about what’s been dubbed the Miami accent. Through the Frosh Scholars Program, I’ve also valued meeting regularly with undergraduate students and discussing the topics that are piquing their interest! As a Grad Scholar, I look forward to contributing to building back El Centro’s community post-pandemic and strengthening bonds between students and staff. The comunidad at El Centro has been so important to me throughout my PhD, and this role is just one way I hope to give back and make an impact.

Ed'd Luna Bhagwandeen

Doctoral Candidate, Race, Inequality, and Language in Education (RILE), Graduate School of Education

Elena Martinez

Doctoral Candidate, Institute for Computational & Mathematical Engineering (ICME)

My parents were raised in adobe houses without electricity, gas, and running water. With perseverance, they found their way from Presidios, Durango, and Tacambarro, Michoacan, to East Los Angeles, CA. They later moved to Monterey Park, where I was raised. Spanish is my first language, but I consider mathematics as my second. While entering school as a limited English speaker came with challenges, mathematics provided me with greater fortitude, self-confidence, and an increased desire to learn. This desire has led me to pursue my PhD in computational and mathematical engineering (CME). I am now entering my second year and conducting research in Stanford’s Cardiovascular Biomechanics Computation Lab, developing mathematical models to support pediatric surgery.

I graduated from Loyola Marymount University (LMU) where I double majored in computer science and applied mathematics. At LMU, a tight-knit community taught me the importance of unity, support, and mentorship. I have been blessed to have such amazing mentors, without whom I would not be where I am today. I look forward to passing along the encouragement and advice my mentors shared with me. Being part of El Centro means joining a diverse comunidad of authentic people who are aspiring to do and be themselves while encouraging others to do the same. I am very excited to be a GSR and I can’t wait to support our undergraduate students in any way I can: applying to graduate school, finding internships, finding balance while managing a busy schedule, or just listening.

Isabel Delwel

Doctoral Candidate, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine

I was born in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and grew up in Austin, Texas. I am a proud Jewish Dutch/Dominican queer woman. I completed my undergrad at The University of North Texas with a BA in Biology (minor in Chemistry) where I was first introduced to scientific research studying bacterial viruses. That led to an internship studying influenza in Seattle, a post-bac program studying Ebola in NYC, and ultimately joining the Microbiology & Immunology PhD program here at Stanford. Currently, I use molecular virology and epidemiological modeling to provide new insights critical for understanding how different manifestations of infectious diseases link to transmission rates. I have mentored students through SSRP, ADVANCE, Hermanxs, WCC STEM, the Green Scholar’s Program, and Stanford Brain Days. I am also an OCT for the Hume Center.

El Centro provides a supportive and empowering community where we always have a space to be heard, learn, and grow.

Kyalamboka Brown

Doctoral Candidate, Math Education and Race, Inequality, and Language in Education (RILE) Program, School of Education

My name is Kyalamboka Brown, and I am a doctoral candidate in the Graduate School of Education. The intersection of my research interests is represented by my doctoral programs of study which include 1) Mathematics Education; 2) Education Policy; and 3) Race, Inequality, and Language in Education (RILE). I study how the sociopolitical context influences the development of mathematics identities of secondary students. I am a first-generation college student from Pontiac, Michigan. I worked in K-12 education for a decade as a high school mathematics teacher, STEM curriculum developer, and an instructional coach. I hold a degree in pure mathematics from Michigan State University and a master's in education from the University of Michigan. At Stanford, I have also worked with the Black Community Services Center and Women’s Center.

El Centro is a home away from home —a place to build community. I look forward to talking with you! Ask me about using technology to stay organized, summer research opportunities, or ways to improve your writing skills.

Mercedes Martinez Milantchi

Doctoral Candidate, Department of Anthropology, School of Humanities & Science

My name is Mercedes (she/her/ella) and I am a Puerto Rican archaeologist and curator pursuing a PhD in Anthropology here at Stanford. I grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico and completed a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in Archaeological Studies and an Erasmus Mundus masters in ARCHaeological MATerials Sciences (University of Evora, Sapienza University and Aristotle University). Prior to joining Stanford, I worked as a curator at the Santo Domingo Centre of Excellence for Latin American research at the British Museum for almost four years where I ran the artist residency program. At the museum, we focused on addressing the painful histories behind collections and emphasized the voices of descendant communities. As part of the small team of Latinx women, we aimed to mobilize heritage and research for social justice.

Following these experiences, I have focused my doctoral research at the intersection of coloniality, sovereignty, material culture, Indigeneity and the politics of the past. Specifically, I am interested in the role of museums and grassroots heritage initiatives for remembering the past in the Caribbean. I am passionate about how “things” can both tell stories about the distant past and be recalled in the present for contemporary political goals. In addition, I strive to complete my doctoral research using collaborative methodologies to counter the extractive nature of field-based anthropology and archaeology.

Please come and chat with me about working in museums, archaeology, anthropology, contemporary art, Puerto Rico/Caribbean, etc.

Sergio Sánchez López

Doctoral Candidate, Emmet Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources, Doerr School of Sustainability

I grew up in Mexico City and consider myself a proud Chilango. I hold a bachelor's degree in International Business from Tec de Monterrey, a Law degree from UNAM, and an LL.M. in Environmental Law & Policy from Stanford Law School. I am an environmental advocate and focus my research on how to accelerate the clean energy transition equitably. My research highlights the unique qualities of the communities, recognize past harms, and amplifies the voices of those most marginalized by the current energy system.

El Centro is a space where I have found community and where my culture and language are celebrated. For two years now, I have had the privilege of contributing to strengthening El Centro’s community through the Frosh Scholars program. Beyond any professional or academic advice I have given as a mentor, my biggest satisfaction has been helping young students feel welcome at Stanford.

Xavi Luis Burgos

Doctoral Candidate, Graduate School of Education

"El Centro provides a sense of support and belonging. It was comforting to have a place where others would understand my background and life experiences. I felt heard and understood at Stanford because of El Centro."