Daniel Gonzalez

Daniel Gonzalez is a scholar-practitioner and social justice advocate who intends to advance higher education, specifically for our most marginalized students, staff, and faculty. His experience and commitment to championing equity-based work, research agenda positioned at the intersection of education policy and student access and persistence, and unique set of lived and professional experiences shape his work. As a proud first-generation student, low-income background, queer, Puerto Rican, Daniel witnessed first-hand some of the barriers to success for those that hold similar identities. These experiences ground him in his purpose, which is in part, to create an environment that allows all to access and persist within higher education.

Daniel hails from New York and completed his B.S. and M.S.Ed. in Music Education from The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY. A former New York State certified music teacher, Daniel understands the transformative impact of education. Since completing his M.S.Ed., he has worked at the University of Southern Mississippi, Western Kentucky University, University of Minnesota, and St. Catherine University. Throughout these roles, Daniel has championed equity-based work in roles within college student housing, orientation & transition programs, intercultural development initiatives, student and staff retention, and academia. Currently, Daniel works in Student Affairs at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN. As a practitioner, Daniel is an accomplished and national leader on equity-based work in higher education. In 2020, Daniel was selected by the Association of Colleges and University Housing Offices – International (ACUHO-I) Executive Board to serve on the Anti-Racism Task Force, “which was charged with examining how campus housing and residence life professionals can contribute to the disruption, if not dismantling, of individual biases and systemic oppression that exists on college and university campuses.” In 2022, Daniel was awarded the Outstanding Mid-Level Professional Award by ACUHO-I.

As an Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development Ph.D. student in the Higher Education track at the University of Minnesota, Daniel has centered his work on first-generation, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ student/staff/faculty. Understanding that Latine students represent the largest racial minority in the education arena today, with the largest educational opportunity gaps, Daniel has targeted his research on the Latine student and educator P-16 experiences.

Daniel’s knowledge, success, and experience has permitted him to be an invited presenter at local, regional, national, and international events and conferences. Daniel is an active member of ACUHO-I, AERA, ASHE, and NODA.

Daniel’s work is grounded in his salient identities, professional endeavors, and lived experiences. As a person who holds multiple marginalized identities, combined with being an educator by trade, Daniel intends to be a part of the change that will continue to expand access and opportunities across all levels of the education arena.