Dr. Lara Perez-Felkner (Ph.D., University of Chicago) is an Associate Professor of Higher Education and Sociology at Florida State University. She is also an Affiliate of the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice and Senior Research Associate with FSU’s Center for Postsecondary Success.
Her research uses developmental and sociological perspectives to examine how social contexts influence college and career outcomes. She focuses on the mechanisms that shape entry into and persistence in institutions and fields in which students have traditionally been underrepresented. This work investigates racial-ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic disparities in postsecondary pathways to educational attainment and scientific careers. Dr. Perez-Felkner edited special issues in New Directions in Institutional Research and International Journal for Gender, Science, and Technology. Published work appears in journals including: About Campus, Developmental Psychology, Journal of Higher Education, and Teachers’ College Record, as well in several edited volumes. She has been supported by external funders including the National Science Foundation and the Spencer Foundation. Her research has been covered in news outlets including local National Public Radio affiliates, the Conversation, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, Science News for Students, and U.S. News and World Report.

Dr. Perez-Felkner is the first generation in her family to not qualify for food or housing assistance. At FSU, she received Transformation through Teaching Award, Hardee Center Supervisor/Mentor Award, and the Graduate Faculty Mentor Award. She is on the APLU ASPIRE Institutional Change team and been active in the Latinx Faculty/Staff Collective, and the President’s Council for Diversity and Inclusion.