In this episode of All Things STEM, Dr. Frank A. Gomez welcomes Dr. Rick Sperling, who brings thoughtful insight into how Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) support students through the lenses of culture, identity, and institutional practice. Together, they reflect on how “servingness” is about more than enrollment numbers—it’s also about the day-to-day choices and structures that shape student experiences.

They also discuss how shifts in research funding can influence institutional priorities and decision-making, and what that can mean for accountability and whose voices are included. Along the way, they explore common challenges in grant narratives, the difference between representation and shared influence, and why self-determination can be a powerful driver of long-term, meaningful progress.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Why HSIs benefit from pairing key metrics with deeper measures of impact and student experience
• How funding uncertainty can shape priorities—and why including students, families, and communities matters
• How deficit narratives get rewarded in proposals—and what gets lost because of it
• The difference between representation and shared influence (including who shapes curriculum, rewards, and opportunity pathways)

About the guest:
Dr. Rick Sperling is Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of Community-Based Research at St. Mary’s University (San Antonio, TX). He earned a PhD in Educational Psychology from UT Austin and brings quantitative expertise to questions of race, culture, power, and institutional behavior in HSIs—especially around hiring, tenure, assimilation, deficit mindset, and systemic racism.

Episode Credits

Produced, edited, and mixed by Monica Alarcon

Hosted by Dr. Frank A. Gomez

Music licensed by Premium Beat