Romero-Reyes wins award for dissertation on transfer process

Joseph Romero-Reyes, assistant professor of community college leadership and higher education at Iowa State University, was recently honored with the 2024-25 Division J Dissertation of the Year Award from the American Educational Research Association.

Romero-Reyes earned his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2024. His dissertation, “Cultivating and Activating Assets in the Vertical Transfer Journey of First-Generation and Low-Income Men of Color in Community College,” examines the both the barriers these students face when transferring from community colleges to four-year universities and the strengths they demonstrate while navigating that process.

Romero-Reyes knows the subject well, having transferred from a community college to a four-year institution himself. He began researching these issues as an undergraduate, after a conversation with a professor who would later become one of his mentors.

“In my time as a community college student, advisor, and a transfer student, I had observed that the further I progressed in my academic journey, the fewer Latino and men of color peers I encountered,” he said. “Our conversation delved into the structural and systemic barriers that shape our educational experiences, and how responsibility is too often placed on us, rather than the systems that do not sufficiently support us.”

Romero-Reyes’ dissertation built on years of research. He conducted a study with male students of color from low-income backgrounds and found that participants faced several common barriers in the transfer process, including unclear transfer policies and procedures, difficulty accessing essential student support services, outdated teaching approaches, and harmful stereotypes on campus.

He also highlighted how these students actively drew on their own strengths, such as determination, pride, leadership and a shared sense of community, to push forward in their transfer journeys.

“My research highlights culturally responsive practices at the individual level and structures at the institutional level that can be utilized to support this student demographic,” he said.

Romero-Reyes joined Iowa State’s School of Education faculty in the fall of 2024. He was drawn to the university’s strong emphasis on meaningful research and its support for faculty who mentor the next generation of community college leaders.

He is expanding his work by building relationships with many of Iowa’s 15 community colleges. He plans to explore how these institutions support the transfer aspirations of men of color and other underrepresented student groups.

Founded in 1916, the American Educational Research Association is a national research society that promotes the use of high-quality education research to improve teaching, learning and policy. Romero-Reyes was selected for their Division J Dissertation of Year Award from a pool of 34 scholars from more than 30 U.S. colleges and universities.

“As a first-generation scholar and a faculty member from an underrepresented background, receiving this award holds deep personal and professional significance. The recognition is important because it reminds me that I am capable, I belong, and to believe in myself as a scholar and researcher,” he said. “I am truly honored to have received this award and feel privileged to further develop my career and expand my work within the School of Education at Iowa State University to sufficiently support every student within our higher and postsecondary education ecosystem.”