Desiree Zerquera

Desiree Zerquera

Associate Professor

Department Chair
Full-Time Faculty

Biography

Desiree Zerquera is an Associate Professor for Higher Education and Student Affairs in the Department of Leadership Studies. Born and raised in Miami, Florida to Cuban parents, she pursued her bachelor's degree in Mathematics and master's degree in Educational Leadership at the University of Florida before attending Indiana University to pursue her PhD in Higher Education and Student Affairs. Desiree Zerquera has worked as a researcher, student affairs practitioner, and higher education administrator. Her research focuses on how inequalities structure the experiences of underrepresented students in accessing and succeeding in higher education, with expertise in the areas of organizational theory, public policy, financial aid, research methodology, and Latino student experiences.

Research Areas

  • Organizational theory
  • Public policy
  • Financial aid
  • Research methodology
  • Latino student experiences

Appointments

  • Senior Research Associate, Division of Institutional Research, Planning, and Effectiveness, Broward College, Fort Lauderdale, FL
  • Visiting Assistant Director for Research, Project on Academic Success (PAS), Center for Postsecondary Research, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
  • Acting Director, Institute of Hispanic-Latino Cultures, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Education

  • PhD, Higher Education and Student Affairs, Indiana University-Bloomington

Selected Publications

Public Scholarship