Marcela Cuellar
![](https://cmsi.gse.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/Marcela-Cuellar.jpg)
Marcela Cuellar is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at the University of California, Davis. She teaches courses on higher education to undergraduate and doctoral students. Her research focuses on access and equity in higher education, Latina/o college student success, and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). More specifically, her research explores Latina/o students’ experiences and empowerment at HSIs and emerging HSIs. Cuellar’s passion for improving postsecondary access and success for historically underrepresented groups stems from her personal and professional experience spanning the educational pipeline. She has worked in Upward Bound, a federal TRiO program, and other educational outreach efforts with first-generation, low-income students. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles.