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Alissa Ruth
- Alissa.Ruth@asu.edu
- (480) 965-4628
- SHESC Bldg TEMPE
Director of Strategic Initiatives
Academic Professional, TEMPE Campus, Mailcode 2402
Biography:
Alissa Ruth is an educational anthropologist and serves as the director of strategic initiatives within the School of Human Evolution and Social Change. Ruth received her doctorate degree in sociocultural anthropology with a focus on immigration to the U.S. and undocumented immigrant youth. Broadly stated, her research focuses on structural inequalities faced by historically underserved students -- including students of color, immigrant and first-generation students -- within the United States and how those individuals overcome obstacles for upward social mobility. For example, a past project investigated how undocumented immigrant youth, called DREAMers, utilized their knowledge of U.S. culture and society in order to form community and claim rights. Her current research interests include innovative teaching pedagogies that improve students’ structural awareness, cultural understandings of public education, resistance and conformity within educational institutions, and the success of first-generation college students. She also promotes and studies pedagogies that support undergraduate and graduate students learning high quality, systematic research methods.
Before joining ASU in 2007, Ruth taught English as a Second Language at the University of Guanajuato in Guanajuato, Mexico for two years and is certified in student-centered teaching pedagogies. She has over 15 years of higher education experience including research, teaching, advising, study abroad, curriculum design, and online program/course development. Additionally, Dr. Ruth is highly engaged in mentoring students and community members on various college and career pathways.
Education:
- Ph.D. Anthropology, Arizona State University 2014
- M.S. Justice Studies, Arizona State University 2007
- B.A. Anthropology, University of Florida 1999
Research Interests:
Diversity Issues in Higher Education, First-Generation Students, Critical/Inclusive Pedagogy, Structural Awareness, Migration to the U.S., Undocumented Immigrants/immigrant youth, 1.5 Generation Immigrants, Immigrant Health, Human Rights, Citizenship, with a regional focus in US Southwest, Mexico/Latin America
Publications:
Select Publications:
Ruth, A., A. Brewis & C. SturtzSreetharan. (2021). Effectiveness of Social Science Research Opportunities: A Study of Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs). Teaching in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2021.1903853
Ruth, A., M. Beresford & E. Cantú. (2020). Community and Autonomy: Motivations for Entrepreneurship among Arizona Community College Students. Human Organization. Fall 79(3). https://doi.org/10.17730/1938-3525-79.3.237
Ruth, A., C. SturtzSreetharan, A. Brewis & A. Wutich (2020). Structural Competency of Pre-Health Students: Can a Single Course Lead to Meaningful Change? Medical Science Educator. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-019-00909-9
Cadenas, G., N. Lynn*, E. Cantú, T. Spence* & A. Ruth. (2020). A Programmatic Intervention to Promote Entrepreneurial Self-efficacy, Critical Behavior, and Technology Readiness among Underrepresented College Students. Journal of Vocational Behavior February 116 (Part A):103350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2019.103350
Ruth, A. & E. Estrada. (2019). DACAmented Homecomings: A Brief Return to Mexico and the Reshaping of Bounded Solidarity among Mixed-Status Latinx Families. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences. May 43(2): 145-165 https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986319843112
Ruth, A., E. Estrada, S. Martinez-Fuentes & A. Vazquez-Ramos. (2019). Soy de aqui, Soy de alla: DACAmented Homecomings and Implications for Identity and Belonging. Latino Studies. Fall 17(3): 304-322 https://doi.org/10.1057/s41276-019-00197-9
Ruth, A., A. Wutich & A. Brewis. (2019). A Model for Scaling Undergraduate Research Experiences: The Global Ethnohydrology Study. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters. March 37(1): 25-34
Ruth, A. (2018). Attaining the College Dream: The Effects of Politics on the Social Capital of First-Generation Undocumented Immigrant Students. Human Organization. March: 77(1) https://doi.org/10.17730/1938-3525.77.1.22
Ruth, A., A. Brewis, D. Blasco & A. Wutich. (2018). Long-term Benefits of Short Term Research-Integrated Study Abroad. Journal of Studies in International Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315318786448
See google scholar for full list.
Research Activity:
Ruth is currently working on the following projects:
- Access, Equity and Inclusion in Higher Education This project seeks to understand what various interventions and mechanisms can promote pathways for successful higher education and skill development, specifically for historically underrepresented and underserved students.
- Methods4all- This projects has three objectives: to 1) bring methods training to Ph.D. students; 2) make social science research methods accessible to a broad audience; 3) build a scholarly community to support methods research and learning in cultural anthropology.
Past Projects:
- Social Entrepreneurship and Career Pathways Study This multi-year project, supported by the Cisco Fund, an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation, focused on studying the educational and career development of underserved high school and community college youth, in relation to their exposure to social entrepreneurship curriculum.
- Intergenerational Family Dynamics in a New Era of Immigration This multi-year, multi-faceted research project examines various legal, economic, political, social and familial dimensions of today’s Mexican immigrants who have lived a majority of their lives in the United States.
| Summer 2021 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| Spring 2021 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 102 | Intro to Cultural Anthropology |
| ASB 484 | Internship |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 584 | Internship |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| ASB 790 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| Fall 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 322 | Peoples of Latin America |
| ASB 484 | Internship |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| ASB 790 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| Summer 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| Spring 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 102 | Intro to Cultural Anthropology |
| ASB 322 | Peoples of Latin America |
| ASB 484 | Internship |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 493 | Honors Thesis |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| ASB 584 | Internship |
| ASB 590 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 592 | Research |
| ASB 790 | Reading and Conference |
| ASB 792 | Research |
| ASB 799 | Dissertation |
| Fall 2019 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 102 | Intro to Cultural Anthropology |
| ASB 484 | Internship |
| ASB 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| Summer 2019 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| SSH 403 | Cross-Culturl Stds Global Hlth |
| ASB 443 | Cross-Culturl Stds Global Hlth |
| Spring 2019 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 102 | Intro to Cultural Anthropology |
| ASB 484 | Internship |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| Fall 2018 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 102 | Intro to Cultural Anthropology |
| ASB 484 | Internship |
| Summer 2018 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| SSH 403 | Cross-Culturl Stds Global Hlth |
| ASM 414 | Urban and Environmental Health |
| ASB 443 | Cross-Culturl Stds Global Hlth |
| Spring 2018 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 102 | Intro to Cultural Anthropology |
| ASB 484 | Internship |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| Fall 2017 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 102 | Culture in a Globalizing World |
| ASB 484 | Internship |
| Spring 2017 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 484 | Internship |
| ASB 494 | Special Topics |
| ASB 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| Fall 2016 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ASB 484 | Internship |
Presentations:
Ruth has overseen cutting-edge curricular projects including online programs, undergraduate research, and study abroad programs. An example of a project she managed was ASM 246 Human Origins--an open, digitally enabled course for ASU’s Global Freshman Academy.