Stella Flores

HE Ed.D. Candidate

Stella Flores is a fourth year doctoral student, editor of the Harvard Educational Review and research assistant for the Civil Rights Project. Her work focuses on access to higher education policies and Latino educational pipeline issues. Her advisor is Professor Gary Orfield.

What did you do before you came to GSE?

Prior to coming to HGSE, Flores worked as a program evaluator at the U.S. General Accounting Office and the U.S. Department of Commerce. She has also worked as a research assistant at the Inter-University Program for Latino Research and interned at the Texas State Legislature. Ms. Flores received her Ed.M. from HGSE and her M.P.Aff. from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. She received her B.A. in sociology and Spanish from Rice University in Houston, Texas. She is coauthor of "Percent Plans in College Admissions: A Comparative Analysis of Three States' Experiences," published in 2003 by The Civil Rights Project, and coeditor of Legacies of Brown: Multiracial Equity in American Education, published by the Harvard Education Press in 2004.

Comments on the coursework?

The methods courses, particularly the quantitative classes, are great. I wasn't sure I would engage in quantitative work, when I got here. However, the methods and application courses were so great, I am now immersed in this work. Also, I have really enjoyed the courses that relate to politics (Elmore), demographic change (Orfield) and leadership (Johnson) in education. This curriculum has integrated well with my work history and my future plans.

What is your research question?

I am currently working on a study that looks at geographic access and fiscal equity of the community system in Texas as it relates to Latino students. My larger potential question for my dissertation is, "What is the effect of postsecondary school construction and availability by race and ethnicity?"

What is your career goal?

I would like to become faculty at a research university that would support my educational interests and philosophy. I'm ultimately interested in using research to inform public policy. I could also see myself working as a political advisor on issues of educational policy and economic development at the state and federal level.