Gladys Lopez-Guitron, a 2024 graduate of the PhD in Counseling Education and Supervision at Antioch University’s Seattle Campus, has written and published her dissertation titled BIPOC Faculty Processing of Microaggressions.
Using a feminist theoretical framework, Lopez-Guitron’s study explores the lived experiences of microaggressions encountered by BIPOC faculty within the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited counseling programs. Her research addresses the following question: What is the lived experience of microaggressions in academia for BIPOC faculty in CACREP-accredited programs?
To ensure participant anonymity, data was collected through an online survey from eight participants that included demographic items and open-ended questions with clear and concise written instructions. Thematic analysis revealed six key themes: personal characteristics embedded in microaggressions, failure to acknowledge BIPOC faculty expertise, institutional microaggressions, outright racism, mixed experiences of White-allyship, and coping with microaggressions. These findings provide critical insights into the challenges faced by BIPOC faculty in academia and highlight the need for institutional change to foster more equitable and inclusive environments.
Lopez-Guitron is a child counselor at the Fleet and Family Support Center at Naval Air Station, Lemoore as a licensed professional clinical counselor in California. She has presented at Antioch University’s Latinx Symposium, at Antioch University, Seattle’s Online Social Justice Symposium, and the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Conference. With over 10 years of experience working in the mental health field her research interests are focused on the lived experience of racism and microaggressions.
Read and download Lopez-Guitron’s dissertation, BIPOC Faculty Processing of Microaggressions.
