Raquel Aldana will join the School of Law as a full-time faculty member in the fall, after stepping down as associate vice chancellor for academic diversity.

She was appointed to the then-new AVC’s post in May 2017, and received an appointment to the law school faculty at the same time. She has expertise in immigration law and policy, Latinos and the law, and international human rights.

As associate vice chancellor, Aldana oversaw the institutionalization of the Center for the Advancement of Multicultural Perspectives on Science, or CAMPOS, originally funded by the National Science Foundation, and expanded the model to encompass non-STEM fields through the Center for the Advancement of Multicultural Perspective on Social Science, Arts and Humanities, or CAMPSSAH.

“AVC Aldana is an unwavering champion for academic diversity for faculty and students,” said Renetta Garrison Tull, vice chancellor, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “She is a committed deep thinker, and considers processes that lead to action."

Aldana worked closely with Academic Affairs, the Academic Senate, Global Affairs, Undergraduate Education, deans and others to embed an ethos of inclusion within faculty activity across the university. She serves as the principal investigator for the UC Office of the President’s Advancing Faculty Diversity Grant program, and made several presentations to the state Legislature on issues related to academic diversity.

She consulted on other grants and initiatives promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, and remains a passionate advocate for a climate without hate speech and racial harassment.

HSI Task Force co-chair

She served as co-chair of the university’s Hispanic Serving Institution Task Force, where she co-authored the HSI Task Force Report. Also during her time as AVC, she received appointments to the UC president’s inaugural Latino and Chicano/Latino Advisory Council, and the inaugural Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities’ Leadership Academy, La Academia de Liderazgo, a one-year program to prepare the next generation of culturally diverse leaders for executive and senior-level positions in higher education.

Rahim Reed, associate executive vice chancellor, Office of Campus Community Relations, stated, “Raquel has always been a true champion and advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion on the Davis campus and beyond, and I have no doubt she will continue to do so in her role at the law school. She is well respected by her peers and colleagues throughout the UC system and the nation for her work in this area.”

Aldana’s career as a professor dates back to 2000. She was a professor at the William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and later served on the McGeorge School of Law faculty in Sacramento for eight years prior to coming to UC Davis. She taught several courses while serving as associate vice chancellor, and is an active speaker and guest lecturer.

In 2019 she received a Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award from the American Bar Association’s Commission on Women in the Profession, and an Ubuntu Award for Inspiring Social Change from the UC Davis Equity Summit.

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