Vice Provost for Faculty Success, Office of the Provost, San Jose State University.

Dr. Magdalena L. Barrera is an author, educator, and university leader with 20 years of experience in higher education. She currently serves as Vice Provost for Faculty Success at San José State University, providing thought leadership on all aspects of faculty life and professional advancement. She also leads SJSU's Accessible Technology and Hispanic Serving Institution initiatives, as well as accreditation and assessment efforts. Dr. Barrera’s research focuses on the experiences of historically underserved students and faculty in higher education; she is the co-author of The Latinx Guide to Graduate School (Duke University Press, 2023), which offers readers a roadmap for surviving and thriving in advanced degree programs.

A former first-generation student, Dr. Barrera earned a B.A. in English literature and Latin American Studies from the University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in Modern Thought and Literature from Stanford University.