Faculty Spotlight - Dr. Ashley D. Domínguez

Dr. Ashley D. Domínguez

Assistant professor in Teaching, Learning & Sociocultural Studies

Ashley taught for seven years in K-12 public charter schools in Dallas, TX. Inspired by her students, she earned a Ph.D.in Learning, Literacies & Technologies to focus on how youth voice can challenge traditional notions of power. Dr. Domínguez now includes underrepresented and historically excluded young people in co-constructing equitable education policies and practices. Her research interests revolve around ethnographic and performance methodologies, critical theories, and the use of arts-based inquiry approaches with youth towards equity in social, educational, and artistic contexts. 

Most recently, her critical performance ethnographic study examines how Latina/x youth utilize art and performance to embody transformational resistance in pursuit of social justice. Her creative work as a community arts practitioner has led her to engage arts-based youth participatory action research with young people, in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, to address educational injustice and envision new possibilities.

A smiling family of four stands in front of a large water fountain. The mother and father are standing close together in the middle, with the father’s arm around their daughter on the right and the mother’s arm around their son on the left. The young boy is wearing a red University of Arizona shirt and hat, and the girl is holding flowers and wearing sparkly boots. Palm trees and sunlight are visible in the background.

What does your role as a mother have on your work in education?

A woman and two smiling children pose for a selfie by the river in front of the Shanghai skyline. The woman wears a white baseball cap and gray top, and the girls are dressed in casual hoodies. One girl playfully makes bunny ears behind the other. Modern skyscrapers, including the Oriental Pearl Tower and Shanghai Tower, rise behind them under a partly cloudy sky.

From my early career in K–12 education to my current role as an assistant professor, amplifying youth voice has remained central to my work. Becoming a bonus parent to Luna and Gordie deepened this commitment, offering a personal lens on how shared decision-making with young people fosters not just agency and engagement, but also connection and family. As I strive to elevate youth voice in my scholarship, our family lives these values daily—through storytelling, listening, feedback, accountability, and the courage to try again. In many ways, parenthood has become an ethical anchor for my academic practice, challenging me to remain accountable, grounded, and ever open to learning alongside the next generation of leaders—of whom Luna and Gordie are a vital part.

Articles & Other Resources