Taryn Allen
Associate Professor | Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX, UNITED STATES
Taryn Allen researches the educational experiences of traditionally under-represented students, particularly Latino, in higher education.
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Biography
Dr. Taryn Ozuna Allen is an associate professor in higher education leadership in the College of Education. Her research interests focus on the educational experiences of traditionally under-represented students, particularly Latino students, as they access, transition and enroll in higher education. She employs qualitative approaches to explore the roles of individuals and experiences that facilitate college readiness and support college transitions. Her current research projects focus on the influence of dual credit in Latino students’ college experiences. She has published in the Journal of Higher Education, Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice and the Journal of Latinos and Education, among others.
Dr. Allen earned her B.A. in General Family and Consumer Sciences and M.Ed. degree from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She earned her doctorate in higher education administration from The University of Texas at Austin, with a specialization in Mexican American Studies. She is affiliated with Project Mentoring to Achieve Latino Educational Success (MALES) at The University of Texas at Austin and the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions.
Prior to joining the faculty at TCU, Dr. Allen served as assistant professor in the Department of K-16 Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). She taught master’s and doctoral courses on diversity and inclusion, leadership and organizational theory, student affairs practice and qualitative research methods. During her time at UTA, she was awarded a three-year faculty fellowship by the Greater Texas Foundation to examine the role of dual credit on Latino engineering students’ college experiences. In 2018, she received the Early Career Research Award by the College of Education.
Areas of Expertise (5)
Qualitative Research Methods
Inclusion in Higher Education
Diversity in Higher Education
Equity in Higher Education
Higher Education Leadership
Education (3)
The University of Texas - Austin: PhD, Higher Education Administration 2012
Baylor University: MSEd, Student Services Administration 2005
Baylor University: BA, General Family and Consumer Sciences 2003
Links (2)
Media Appearances (3)
Taryn Ozuna Allen speaks to MSNBC on education equity for Latino students
TCU News online
2021-10-18
In a national story featured on MSNBC’s Cross Connection, Taryn Ozuna Allen, associate professor in higher education leadership, breaks down how HSIs secure funding.
A Wave of Hispanic Students Reshapes a Historically Black College
The Chronicle of Higher Education online
2015-05-14
"For HBCUs, it's a delicate balancing act — honoring the past while recognizing that diversity's at your doorstep," said Taryn Ozuna Allen...
Introducing Dr. Taryn Ozuna Allen, Project MALES’s first Faculty Affiliate
The University of Texas at Austin online
2015-03-03
This week we spotlight the work of Dr. Taryn Ozuna Allen, Project MALES’s first Faculty Affiliate. Dr. Ozuna Allen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, at the University of Texas in Arlington. Dr. Ozuna Allen became a Faculty Affiliate with Project MALES in June 2014. Her research focuses on the educational experiences of under-represented student populations as they transition to four-year institutions.
Articles (5)
(In)validation in the Minority: The Experiences of Latino Students Enrolled in an HBCU
The Journal of Higher Education2016-10-31
This qualitative, phenomenological study examined the academic and interpersonal validation experiences of four female and four male Latino students who were enrolled in their second-to fifth-year at an HBCU in Texas. Using interviews, campus observations, a questionnaire, and analytic memos, this study sought to understand the role of in- and out-of-class experiences that encouraged Latino students to be active members of the university's learning community and to overcome obstacles in their adjustment to college.
(Un)Intended Consequences: The First-Year College Experience of Female Students With Dual Credits
Journal of The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition2016 Using Merton's (1957) anticipatory socialization theory, this qualitative study explored how participation in dual credit in high school helped introduce 12 female students to the academic and social aspects of college to ease their first-year transitions. These students, who entered one Texas university with between 15 and 78 dual credits, appreciated saving money and getting a head start on college course requirements.
“It Was Kind of a Dream Come True”: Undocumented College Students’ Testimonios of Cultural Wealth in the College Choice Process
Journal of Hispanic Higher EducationUsing community cultural wealth as a theoretical framework, this qualitative study examined the college choice process of eight undocumented Mexican college graduates. Through interviews, participants shared their testimonios revealing the development of their college aspirations and challenges encountered related to their undocumented status. They described the processes, resources, and networks they utilized to overcome obstacles and access a research university. Recommendations for practice and future research are offered.
Managing Expectations and Striving to Succeed: A Portrait of a Latino Male Student's Experience in an Early College High School
Journal of Applied Research in the Community College2016 Early College High Schools (ECHS) are often located on a community college campus, and they provide students with the opportunity to simultaneously earn their Associate's degree and high school diploma. By using Lawrence-Lightfoot's approach to portraiture, I highlight the unique experiences of one Latino male enrolled in an ECHS in North Texas.
From Matriculation to Engagement on Campus: Delineating the Experiences of Latino/a Students at a Public Historically Black University
New Directions for Higher Education2015-06-17
Drawing from a larger study on Asian Americans and Latino/as at HBCUs, this chapter focuses exclusively on the Latino/a students, sheds light on factors that motivated Latino/a students to attend a historically Black university, and discusses the on‐campus experiences of these students. The chapter provides insight into what HBCUs might do to help increase a sense of belonging among Latino/a students.
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