Staff
Dr. Gloria Martinez-Ramos | Director of the Center for Diversity and Gender Studies
Dr. Gloria P. Martinez-Ramos is a Professor in the Department of Sociology. Dr. Martinez-Ramos earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in Sociology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, a B.A. in Child Development from San Jose State University, and an A.A. from Hartnell College, Salinas, California. Gloria has over 15 years of teaching Sociology, such as, Race and Ethnic Relations, Medical Sociology, Social Stratification, Introduction to Sociology, Latinos and Immigration, Latina/os and Education, and the new Latina/o Studies courses at Texas State. She has mentored over 30 undergraduate and graduate students, many who are working in community-based and advocacy research in health and education. Her research has centered on understanding the quality of life, and impact and experiences of Latina breast cancer survivors. Her current research project centers on understanding the financial impact and burden that low income and indigent breast cancer survivors face in Central Texas. Her research interests center primarily on health and well-being Latina/os, higher education, cancer survivorship of race and ethnic minority women in Central Texas. She serves on a Breast Health Steering Committee for E3Alliance of Central Texas and Community Action, Inc., both non-profit organization committed toward improving health and quality of life of the community in Central Texas.
Dr. Martinez is an active member of the National Diversity Scholars Network from the National Center for Institutional Diversity and a fellow of the New Leadership Academy Fellows Program, a partnership between the National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good and the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education, and a faculty fellow (2019-2020) of the Pardee Rand Faculty Leadership Program. She has received numerous awards for her work including the Outstanding Faculty Scholar Award from the Center for Diversity and Gender Studies, the Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award, the Excellence in Inclusion and Diversity Award, and the Mariel M. Muir Excellence in Mentoring Award.
E-Mail: gm21@txstate.edu
Phone: (512) 245-2361
Dr. Dwonna Goldstone | Director of African American Studies
Dr. Dwonna Naomi Goldstone is an Associate Professor of History and Director of the African American Studies program at Texas State University.
Dr. Goldstone grew up in Moline, Illinois, (home of the John Deere Tractor) and earned her B.A. in American Studies with a minor in African American Studies from the University of Iowa. After finishing her M.A.T. in Secondary English Education at Brown University, Dr. Goldstone taught high school English and coached 9th-grade girls’ basketball and boys’ and girls’ track at Thomas A. Edison High School in Fairfax County, Virginia. After leaving the classroom, Dr. Goldstone went to the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned her PhD in American Civilization. Her book—Integrating the 40 Acres: The Fifty-Year Struggle for Racial Equality at the University of Texas at Austin, won the Coral H. Tulis Memorial Prize for the best book on Texas history. Dr. Goldstone has written several articles about African American history and culture, including “Home Economics,” a memoir about growing up poor and Black in Moline, and “Stirring Up Trouble,” an article about teaching race at a PWI. After teaching in a men’s prison in Nashville for a year, Dr. Goldstone will return to teaching incarcerated men as soon as Covid subsides and educators are allowed back in Texas prisons.
When she is not teaching, writing, or creating programming for the African American Studies program, Dr. Goldstone trains for half marathons, does CrossFit, watches Judge Judy, and walks her four dogs—Lena Horne, Ernie Banks, Ralph Ellison, and Hank Aaron. Please contact her for questions about the TXST African American Studies minor as well as suggestions for classes or programming.
Phone: 512.245.2142
Email: dwonnagoldstone@txstate.edu
Dr. Allison Robinson | Director of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Dr. Allison Robinson is an Associate Professor of Instruction in the History Department and specializes in 20th century United States history with a focus on gender and African American history. She received an MA in History from Texas State University in 2012 and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Houston in 2016. Her research focuses on the ways state carceral policies attempted to “reform” incarcerated girls and women by enforcing traditional gender, race, and class norms. More recently, her research has expanded to the medical treatment incarcerated girls and women received in Texas penitentiaries, asylums, and orphanages. She is dedicated to getting students engaged in current events and policies by emphasizing the importance of civic participation.
Dr. Robinson enjoys spending time with her family and friends, her dog Bear, visiting coffee shops, archives, and presidential libraries, listening to podcasts, and reading.
Phone: 512.245.2142
Email: arobinson@txstate.edu
Dr. Melissa Garcia | Director of Latina/o Studies
Phone: (512)245-2113
Email: bym36@txstate.edu
Dr. Melissa Garcia is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Texas State University. She received her Ph.D. in Sociology at Indiana University, Bloomington, a M.A. in Sociology from the University of Memphis, and B.A. in International Studies/Anthropology (Latin American focus) from Southwestern University.
Her research and expertise are at the intersection of Immigration, Sociology of Education, and Latinx Sociology. Melissa’s research uses various qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews, archival methods, and ethnographic observations, to conduct research that aims to address social inequalities. In one strand of her current research, she examines how students experience inclusion or exclusion in Latinx and Asian panethnic student organizations and its implications. In a second strand of research, she is interested in how immigration-related public policies affect immigrants’ daily lives. In other research, Melissa, along with co-authors, have examined immigrants’ well-being and perceptions of discrimination.
Melissa has previously taught Social Inequality and is currently teaching Intro Sociology and the Sociology of Latinos and Immigration. As a Texas native, she is thrilled to be back in her home state researching and teaching sociology!
Jonafa Banbury | Administrative Assistant III
Jonafa Banbury graduated with a degree in Sociology (MA).
Email: js13016@txstate.edu
Pearl Mendez | Office Assistant
Pearl Mendez is an undergrad junior double majoring in Psychology and Biology at TXST.
She is a currently student worker at CDGS!
Eric Flores | Office Assistant
Eric Flores is a student worker for CDGS, majoring in Wildlife Biology with a minor in Horticulture. He is currently a freshman this year and is always willing to strike up a conversation!
You can find him at ois25@txstate.edu