Luz Burgos-López, a doctoral student in the Neag School of Education’s Learning, Leadership, and Education Policy program and an assistant dean of students at UConn’s Dean of Students Office, is a 2024-2025 recipient of the David Putter Scholarship Fund, which comes with a $10,000 grant. She was also named as the fund’s inaugural Brock-Ransby Awardee, created to honor the international solidarity and racial justice work of Lisa Brock and Barbara Ransby, Chicago-based historians/scholar-activists who organized against South African Apartheid.

The David Putter Scholarship Fund provides financial support for students who are active and emerging organizers in progressive movements for liberation, self-determination, and social and economic justice in their communities.

Burgos-López says she is very grateful for the grant and recognizes how the award affirms the importance of her work both within and outside academia.

“The scholarship represents more than just financial assistance,” she says. “It acknowledges my efforts beyond the University walls, validating the time I spent supporting my extended and chosen families.”

The scholarship represents more than just financial assistance. It acknowledges my efforts beyond the University walls, validating the time I spent supporting my extended and chosen families. — Luz Burgos-López

The scholarship grant did not require letters of recommendation from academics or advisors but from community members who could attest to the work recipients are doing in the real world. This emphasis on community voices resonated deeply, as Burgos-López had long struggled with the tension of being in academia — a privileged space — while also dedicating time and resources to supporting others outside it.

“The financial aspect of the scholarship also came at a crucial time,” she says. “Balancing family obligations, work, and full-time study had left me stretched thin. With the scholarship, I found relief from the pressures of cutting back on my academic pursuits. In particular, the scholarship would allow me to transcribe my research sessions with participants — an essential step in completing my dissertation — without adding to my already heavy workload.”

Burgos-López’s doctoral research centers on historically marginalized and racialized communities, specifically focusing on the Latine community. One of the challenges she noted was the tendency to present the Latine student population as homogeneous.

“This erasure of diversity within the community often overlooks the anti-Blackness and anti-Indigeneity that exist,” she says. “My work seeks to disrupt this notion, pushing for a deeper, more nuanced understanding of Latino identity that accounts for these complex issues.”

Reflecting on her role as an assistant dean of students, she emphasizes how rare it was for people of color to hold such positions in higher education. Before this role, she worked in diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and cultural centers, helping students of color navigate predominantly white spaces.

“Recognizing that these spaces lacked the proper support for racially marginalized students, I intentionally decided to step into a position of authority where I could directly address the needs of underrepresented students.”

Burgos-López’s office, dedicated to crisis management and student support, offers a holistic approach to student wellbeing: “Students come to me with a wide range of issues — whether it was food insecurity, challenges with coming out to their families, or dealing with breakups.”

“I strive to provide empathetic, counseling-based support, even for students who might not traditionally seek out the Dean of Students office, such as first-generation students, queer students, or students of color,” she says. “The role was not just about addressing academic issues but about being a bridge for students in crisis, helping them stay on track to graduate, even if the journey was challenging.”

Her experience in her doctoral program significantly shapes her approach to this work.

“The rigorous training in research and critical thinking affirmed the importance of advocacy within my role as an assistant dean of students,” she says. “As I continue my advocacy work, I ensure that the racial and social justice lens I use in my research informs my day-to-day interactions with students.”

In her dual role as a student and an academic professional, Burgos-López also plays a key part in the Neag School’s Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) program, guiding future student affairs professionals. Through her teaching and mentorship, she ensures that students understand the nuances of working in predominantly white institutions and the specific challenges that students of color might face.

“My work, whether in the classroom, my office, or my research, is about disrupting the colonial structures that pervade higher education,” she says. “I am committed to creating space for students of color, queer students, and other marginalized groups to thrive in institutions that were not designed with them in mind.”

Burgos-López will be recognized later this month for both her David Putter Scholarship Fund and Brock-Ransby awards at a gathering in Nashville, Tennessee.