Dr. Julissa Muñiz

Biography

Julissa O. Muñiz is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA. Her research explores issues of race, racism, power, privilege, institutions, and institutional logics, with a particular focus on the intersections of U.S. public education and the criminal and juvenile legal systems. She examines teaching, learning, and identity development within juvenile court schools and seeks to understand how young people navigate learning and living in confinement. Muñiz has affiliations with the Visualizing Abolition Program at UC Santa Cruz and earned her Ed.M. in Prevention Science Practice from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She holds an M.A. in Human Development and Social Policy from Northwestern University and a B.A. in Ethnic Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. As a first-generation scholar from San Ysidro, California, she also founded the San Ysidro Rising Scholar Award, a scholarship and mentorship program for first-generation college students from her alma mater. Muñiz has previous experience as an academic counselor and GED co-instructor, contributing to her commitment to education in marginalized communities.

Research Interests

Awards