CLS Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Rosaura Domínguez-Rebollar
April 7, 2025
Dr. Rosaura Domínguez-Rebollar (she/her/ella) is the Coordinator for the Center for Multicultural Student Services (CMSS) at James Madison University (JMU) in Harrisonburg, Virginia. In 2023, she received her dual doctoral degrees in Ecological/Community Psychology and Chicano/Latino Studies from Michigan State University (MSU). Originally from New York City, Dr. Domínguez-Rebollar also has a master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She earned her master’s in Ecological/ Community Psychology from MSU in 2020.
Her research focuses on student success in higher education, especially what processes are used to improve student services. She worked with the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at MSU to explore methods to assess and improve the program and services provided.
We’ve caught up with Dr. Domínguez-Rebollar about her current position and her reflections back on her time with CLS.
Q: What is your current position?
A: I serve as the Coordinator for CMSS at JMU. My role is to oversee the space and help with planning programming. I enjoy getting to know and talk with students, so I can better support them. I enjoy seeing that they have made these spaces their home, because it shows the power and importance of having spaces like this.
Q: How did the Chicano/Latino Studies program prepare you for this position?
A: CLS continued to show me the power and impact of these spaces for students. I was very blessed to have similar supports in undergrad, and part of the reason I chose MSU, was because I knew I would continue to have similar supports, while I was pursuing my graduate studies. I felt welcomed and supported in CLS, and I wanted to give back to future generations of students with my work. Having good role models of staff and professors in these spaces also modeled for me the type of support I wanted to be for my students. Doing CLS coursework also helped me understand the value and history of this type of work.
Q: What advice do you have for students who would like to pursue a position such as yours?
A: I would tell them to be open to this type of position. Most grad students think of professors or researchers, when thinking of careers in academia, when we have many admin or staff roles in higher education that would be great for graduate students, especially those in CLS. Try to find opportunities in grad school that let you try out this type of work. This would give you a good behind-the-scenes look into how student support work and programing gets done. It may not be for you, and that's ok, but you won't know it, until you actually get a chance to do it. Having the opportunity to do this type of work during my tenure as a graduate student helped cement that this was the right path for me.