Lydia CdeBaca-Cruz –

Adjunct Professor of Humanities, English, and Integrated Reading and Writing || College Associate for the Ascender Program

Program Coordinator: Mexican American/Chican@ Studies

Biography

Dr. Lydia CdeBaca-Cruz is committed to improving educational outcomes for underserved students through both higher education and community-based education initiatives. CdeBaca-Cruz received her M.A. and Ph.D. in English with graduate certificates in Mexican American Studies and Native American/Indigenous Studies at the University of Texas at Austin and her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Texas at Arlington. She currently serves as a College Associate with the Ascender Program at Austin Community College, where she also teaches courses in English Composition, Integrated College Reading and Writing, Humanities, and Mexican American Studies. Beginning Spring 2020, Dr. CdeBaca-Cruz also returned to her alma mater at UT as a Lecturer in Contemporary Latinx Literature and Culture and American Literature.

Teaching Philosophy

My teaching is founded on a concept of learning as bridging. Together, my students and I co-construct bridges between teaching and learning in order to establish an environment of trust in the classroom, to meet their goals and expectations, and to convey relevant and authentic learning experiences.

Areas of Interest