Dr. Delia Fernandez

CLS Affiliation: CLS Core Faculty 

Position Title: Associate Professor 

College and Department: College of Social Science and Department of History 

Areas of Expertise: Latino placemaking in the Midwest; immigration; migration; labor; social movements; and women’s history. 

How do you keep yourself centered? 

Having flexible routines are really important to taking care of myself. Given my family structure and work demands, I can't do the same routine every day. Instead, I try to pick 3 to 4 things I want to do for myself and do them whenever I can throughout the week. This might include some kind of physical activity, doing something creative, and doing something relaxing.

What advice/tips/consejos would you give students in terms of navigating school? 

I strongly suggest students seek out mentors in either their peers, academic staff, faculty, or community members. Navigating college can be incredibly hard for first generation students especially. A mentor can help to demystify college and life afterwards. 

When not teaching, doing research, and/or preparing coursework, what do you like to do for fun or relaxation? 

I like to hang out with family, read books by women of color, and spend time with my friends. 

What (or who) inspires you? 

I find inspiration in my community. Whether it's my family or the friends I have here in East Lansing, the ways that people come together to enrich one another's lives inspires me to continue that work. 

What classes do you generally teach? 

I generally teach courses in both History and Chicano/Latino Studies. I have taught courses such as US History Since 1876; History of Mexican Americans in the United States; and research seminars. For CLS, I teach Intro to CLS and the Capstone.

Anything else you would like to share with students and the CLS community?

I'm really proud of our CLS students. Teaching them is a highlight of my career. I'm inspired by their drive and their genuine interest in learning so that they can help their communities. It's one of the best parts about my job.

To learn more about Dr. Fernandez, visit MSU’s website at https://clstudies.msu.edu/directory/directory-fernandez.html 

 

Picture descriptions: 

1) Me and other awesome WOC professors. 

2) A screenshot of my Kindle library that has some of the books I’ve read this year.