Outstanding women in higher education

Ana M. Martínez-Alemán, a professor in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, and its associate dean of faculty and academic affairs, is among 40 outstanding women in higher education named by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education, the preeminent source of critical news, information, and insightful commentary on the full range of issues concerning diversity in American colleges and universities.

To coincide with its 40th anniversary, and in advance of Women’s History Month in March, Diverse is honoring 40 women “who have made a difference in the academy by tackling some of higher education’s toughest challenges, exhibiting extraordinary leadership skills, and making a positive difference in their respective communities” in its February 29 issue.

Martínez-Alemán, the Golden Eagle Foundation Faculty Research Fellow, studies topics at the forefront of higher education and campus culture. Her 2009 book, Online Social Networking on Campus: Understanding What Matters in Student Culture (with Katherine Lynk Wartman), was the first to explore social media’s impact on students. Currently, she examines online racialized aggression, and how students of color and first-generation students use technology. Her most recent book, Voices of Campus Sexual Violence Activists: #MeToo and Beyond, explores student sexual violence activism and institutional practice.

“My professional efforts have always been dedicated to enriching diverse students’ and faculty’s experiences on our campuses,” said Martínez-Alemán. “This honor is especially heartwarming, but also quite humbling. I am truly appreciative of the recognition.”

“We are excited and proud that our colleague Ana Martínez-Alemán has received this substantial honor from Diverse: Issues In Higher Education,” said Stanton E.F. Wortham, the Charles F. Donovan, S.J., Dean of the Lynch School. “The selection recognizes her scholarly contributions to the field of higher education; it also notes, and we are particularly grateful for, her many contributions to Boston College and to the profession. She has consistently offered her expertise and her time to improve higher education here at the University and beyond.”

Martínez-Alemán joined the Lynch School in 1998 and served as department chair of the Educational Leadership and Higher Education Department from 2007 to 2017. She is the immediate past president of the Association for the Study of Higher Education.