Dr. Hortencia Jimenez’s Academic Achievements
Dr. Hortencia Jimenez is an experienced educator with over 20 years of teaching experience across various educational institutions, including four-year universities and private and community colleges, teaching both lower and upper-division courses. She specializes in integrating principles of equity and inclusion into higher education course development. Dr. Jimenez has designed curricula that reflect student demographics and life experiences.
With a student-centered, intersectional, and decolonial teaching approach, Dr. Jimenez aims to create a supportive learning environment where students feel seen, validated, valued, and empowered in their academic and personal pursuits. As the first Latina of immigrant background to be a tenured faculty member in the department of Sociology, Dr. Jimenez has developed five new courses in the history of her institution, and one of the courses, Sociology of Food, Culture, is the first of its kind in the California Community College System.
With a student-centered, intersectional, and decolonial teaching approach, Dr. Jimenez aims to create a supportive learning environment where students feel seen, validated, valued, and empowered in their academic and personal pursuits. As the first Latina of immigrant background to be a tenured faculty member in the department of Sociology, Dr. Jimenez has developed five new courses in the history of her institution, and one of the courses, Sociology of Food, Culture, is the first of its kind in the California Community College System.
Dr. Jimenez has been a trailblazer in designing and implementing new courses:
✨Sociology of Immigration and Identity
✨Sociology of Food, Culture, and Society
✨Gender and Society
✨Sociology of Latinx/Latine in the U.S
✨Sociology of Latina Sexualities
Dr. Jimenez is a pioneer in creating academic curricula that address important social issues. Her curriculum vitae, which you can download here, outlines her teaching trajectory and publishing.
Dr. Jimenez’s dedication to equity and inclusion extends beyond the classroom through service-learning opportunities, community partnerships, and a commitment to community engagement.
Community Awards
Prior to becoming a professor, Dr. Jimenez worked in the non-profit immigrant rights sector in the Bay Area as well as during her graduate work in Austin, Texas. Her community work earned her the following awards:
- Human Relations Award in San Jose, CA,
- Resolution of Commendation by the County of Santa Clara, Board of Supervisors
- Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition
- Certificate of Recognition by the State of California, Senate.
- Community Achievement Award by Latino Network of Monterey County
- Certificate of Recognition by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, and
- Certificate of Recognition by California Legislature Assembly, Anna M. Caballero
Academic Awards
- Certificate of Recognition as an Outstanding Faculty by the EOPS/CARE/CalWORKs Programs at Hartnell College
- Nominated and selected as the 2016 I AM HARTNELL FacultyRecognition Award.
- While in her doctoral studies, she was the first recipient of the NACCS Immigrant Beca founded by the National Association of Chicana and Chicano Studies (NACCS) as well as earned numerous fellowships that allowed her to complete her graduate work and dissertation.
- Outstanding Faculty Award by the TRIO program at Hartnell College
- Undergraduate McNair Scholar at San Jose State University,
- C. Wright Mills Graduate Student Awardee-SJSU
Community Stewardship
Dr. Jimenez’s commitment extends to the community where she has volunteered on a number of efforts including organizing the first Know Your Rights Train-the Trainer Workshop, helped organize the Diálogo Comunitario “Conozca sus Derechos Migratorios” with the organization Juntos Podemos, to volunteering at the Adelante con Orgullo Mujer Inmigrante (ACOMI) Conference, Ciclovía, and being a workshop facilitator for the Out of School Youth (OSY) for the Migrant Education Program in Monterey County and the Women’s Empowerment Conference at Hartnell College.
She served as a board member for three non-profit organizations, the YWCA of Monterey County and Restorative Justice Partners and the Red Cross of Northern California. She is currently a steering committee member for the Monterey County Immigrant Services Network of Empowerment (CISNE).
Dr. Jimenez is available for consulting and speaking engagements to assist educators, institutions, and organizations in integrating equity and inclusion practices into their course development and implementation strategies. Contact her to learn how she can support your organization in creating a more inclusive and equitable educational environment.