Introducing ECP’s 2026 Commencement Speaker: Dr. Kris D. Gutiérrez
The Santa Clara University School of Education and Counseling Psychology is deeply honored to announce Dr. Kris D. Gutiérrez as our 2026 commencement speaker. She is a Distinguished Professor, former Faculty Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Research at UC Berkeley, and the Carol Liu Chair and former Associate Dean at UC Berkeley’s School of Education.
Dr. Gutiérrez is a world-renowned expert in learning sciences, literacy, policy, and qualitative and design-based approaches to theory. Her work focuses on how language, culture, and community help shape student’s learning and engagement in school, with a special focus on understanding the conditions under which students from nondominant communities thrive. Her research examines learning in designed environments, with attention to culture, historicity, ecological resilience, and the affordances of syncretic approaches to literacy and STEM learning with immigrant and translingual student populations.
Bridging Research and Community
Dr. Gutiérrez is famous for moving research out of the “ivory tower” and into the neighborhood. She has spent decades building deep partnerships with immigrant and migrant communities through programs that celebrate the strengths students bring to the classroom:
- Las Redes: A 15-year after-school program for elementary students that treated "cross-language" talk as a superpower, allowing kids to use their full range of linguistic practices to learn and express complex ideas.
- El Pueblo Mágico: An innovative program that sparked a passion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) in young learners.
- UCLA Migrant Student Leadership Program: An initiative designed to support California youth from migrant farmworker backgrounds to find their path to leadership and academic success.
Her work has been supported by the nation’s most prestigious organizations, including the National Science Foundation, the Sloan, the Spencer Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation (Connected Learning Research Network), and noted for her commitment to learning in community and her innovative methodological approaches.
A Distinguished Record of Public Service
Beyond the classroom, Dr. Gutiérrez has shaped the national conversation on education. She served on President Obama’s transition team, and her expertise in fostering educational equity led to a presidential appointment by the Obama administration to the National Board of the Institute of Education Sciences, of which she was the vice-chair. She is a past president of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and holds elected memberships in the most elite academic circles, including the National Academy of Education and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Gutiérrez is also a fellow of the British Academy, the International Society of the Learning Sciences, and AERA. Her career is defined by a commitment to transforming the way we see students' backgrounds by viewing them as resources rather than hurdles. Her contributions have been recognized with an extraordinary list of honors:
- 2005 C Sylvia Scribner Award (AERA)
- 2007 Distinguished Scholar Award (Committee on Scholars of Color in Education)
- 2009 Top 100 Influential Hispanic People in the U.S. (Hispanic Business Magazine)
- 2014 AERA Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2014 Henry T. Trueba Award for Research Leading to the Transformation of the Social Contexts of Education
- 2014 Distinguished Contributions to Social Contexts in Education Research Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2016 Oscar Causey Award for influencing the field of literacy (LRA)
- 2016, Medal of Excellence for Distinguished Service and Commencement Speaker, Columbia University/Teachers College
- 2020 Dr. John J. Gumperz Memorial Award for Distinguished Lifetime Scholarship (AERA)
- 2024 Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award (AERA)
Whether she is studying how families navigate their daily routines, how a child learns, or how to design robust learning environments, Dr. Gutiérrez’s work is grounded in the belief that youth and families bring expansive repertoires to their learning. We are incredibly grateful to welcome such a visionary leader to inspire our graduates as they begin their professional journeys as educators, counselors, and advocates.
Join us for the Ceremony:
- When: Saturday, June 13, 2026
- Time: 4:00 PM
- Where: Stevens Stadium, Santa Clara University