Publications
Dr. De La Garza's academic work explores doctoral persistence, leadership, and identity at the intersections of race, military service, and neurodivergence. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and includes his doctoral dissertation at the University of San Diego.
"Staying is Not Neutral": Latinx Doctoral Persistence as Praxis and Leadership
Published in the Journal of Latinos and Education , 2026. Dr. De La Garza introduces a new framework — Persistence-as-Praxis — reframing doctoral persistence for first-generation Latinx students as an institutional and relational process, not simply individual grit.
Beyond Grit: Doctoral Persistence and Leadership as Praxis Among First-Generation Latinx PhD Students
Published in the Journal of Latinos and Education , 2026. This study examines two cases of Latinx doctoral persistence and how early challenges evolve into leadership grounded in mentorship, peer solidarity, and culturally responsive practice.
Who Gets to Be Taken Seriously? Three Atypical Scholars Navigate Doctoral Education at the Intersections of Race, Neurodivergence, and Veteran Identity
Doctoral dissertation, University of San Diego (PhD in Leadership Studies), 2026.
