Gastón Institute Director Lorna Rivera Appointed to State Commission on the Status of Latinos and Latinas
Lorna Rivera, director of the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development & Public Policy and professor of higher education, has been appointed to the Permanent Commission on the Status of Latinos and Latinas for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for a three-year term.
Rivera brings her expertise in community-based research and advocacy to the commission, focusing on empowering Latinx and immigrant communities through research, teaching, and service centered on grassroots, social justice-oriented education and community development initiatives.
"It is an honor to be serving on the Permanent Commission on the Status of Latinos and Latinas for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” Rivera said. “I am excited to work with incredible leaders such as Representative Andy Vargas, Representative Orlando Ramos, and Representative Rita Mendes, as well as other nonprofit and business leaders to mobilize resources, to address issues affecting Latinos and Latinas and to make policy recommendations based on research and analysis.”
The commission will make policy recommendations, based on research and analysis, to the general court and executive agencies that ensure Latinos and Latinas equitably benefit from and have access to government services, amend laws, policies and practices that have benefited citizens of the commonwealth to the exclusion of Latinos and Latinas, and promote solutions that address the impact of discrimination against Latinos and Latinas.
The commission will make policy recommendations, grounded in research and analysis, to the General Court and executive agencies to ensure Latinos and Latinas have equitable access to government services. These recommendations will aim to amend laws, policies, and practices that have historically excluded Latinos and Latinas, while also promoting solutions to address the effects of discrimination against these communities. The commission will also promote research and be a clearinghouse and source of information on Latinas and Latinos.
“As the Director of the Gaston Institute I will be sharing our research and advocating for positive community development for all residents of our commonwealth especially our underserved Latina/o communities,” she said.
This new permanent commission will engage with community leaders, legislators and the public at large to better serve the needs of Latina/o communities across Massachusetts.
At the end of the year, the group will deliver a report to the state legislature.
Rivera’s research focuses on Latino Studies, the social determinants of health, adult literacy and the education of Latinx students. She is co-editor of the book, Critical Perspectives on Latino Education in Massachusetts (forthcoming, 2025, UMass Press). She has worked on the Latinx Student Success Initiative, a partnership with Bunker Hill Community College, to improve retention and graduation rates for Latinx college students. She manages the Talented & Gifted (TAG) Latino and Proyecto Alerta afterschool and summer learning academies that serve Latinx bilingual students in the Boston Public Schools.
She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Anna B Stearns Charitable Foundation, Board of Trustees at Fenway High School, the Latino Equity Fund at the Boston Foundation. Her leadership has been recognized by several awards including the “50 Most Influential People of Color in Higher Education,” “Latinx Amplifier Award,” and the “Talented And Gifted Latino Champion Award.”