Dr. Gilberto Q. Concha

The Wayne K. & Anita Woolfolk Hoy Endowed Chair
Pennsylvania State University College of Education

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Dr. Conchas’ research focuses on inequality, emphasizing urban communities and schools. Born to Mexican immigrants from a small farming town in the state of Jalisco, his father, José came to the United States through the Bracero program, which legally allowed for the temporary importation of Mexican contract laborers. After three years of separation, his mother, Evelia, and her two children joined Jose in southeast San Diego, in a predominately African American neighborhood. There Gil and two younger siblings were born. Gil’s family’s experiences deeply influenced his unique insights into social justice, leading to his focus on the factors affecting success for youth and young adults who face tremendous odds. He seeks out solutions that eradicate the roots of social problems affecting low-income communities and marginalized youth. Dr. Conchas works with partners both in and out of school settings, highlighting the factors and influences that structure success instead of failure.

An expert on qualitative research methods, Dr. Conchas has published numerous scholarly articles and books. The Chicana/o/x Dream: Hope, Resistance, and Educational Success, co-authored with Nancy Acevedo, received the 2021 Book-of-the-Year Award from the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE). The Color of Success: Race and High-Achieving Urban Youth, a highly acclaimed earlier book, was revisited and revised with new insights in his recently published The Color of Success 2.0: Race and Transformative Pathways for High-Achieving Urban Youth.

Dr. Conchas obtained a Ph.D. and M.A. in Sociology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to his appointment at Penn State, Dr. Conchas served as an Educational Policy and Social Context professor at the University of California Irvine while also Executive Director of the College and Career Academy Support Network (CCASN). He was an Assistant Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, a Senior Program Officer for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and a Visiting Professor at the University of Southern California, San Francisco State University, University of Washington, University of Barcelona, Spain, and the University of California, Santa Barbara and Berkeley.

The Color of Success 2.0
Race and Transformative Pathways for High-Achieving Urban Youth

The Color of Success 2.0 is a powerful update of Gilberto Conchas’ groundbreaking exploration of the educational trajectories of urban youth.

The first edition of The Color of Success was a groundbreaking, asset-based exploration of the educational trajectories of high-achieving, low-income students within urban schools. The author brings his now seminal book up to date with insights based on existing and new research, current policies, and innovative pedagogical approaches. Conchas utilizes a critical lens to examine the intersectional identities of racially minoritized students, the role of existing power hierarchies within schools, and offers specific structural approaches that create

This book amplifies student voice; explores school, family, and community partnerships; promotes culturally relevant pedagogy and teacher preparation; includes a new chapter on Black male optimism after the historic election of President Barack Obama; and offers a thought-provoking additional chapter on the role of educational leaders in promoting successful school pathways; plus, it contains a thoroughly revised quantitative chapter on social capital.

With a sense of urgency, readers will gain vital insights for understanding what is needed to create, promote, and expand equitable school environments and transformative pathways for racially minoritized urban youth. The Color of Success 2.0 features:

• A rare look at Black, Latinx, and Vietnamese urban school success stories, instead of those depicting failure.
• Includes narratives and perspectives of students’ daily struggles, affirmations, and successes in their quest to navigate school and beyond.
• Uses mixed-methods research to respond to the challenges of a new post-pandemic political reality of racial unrest and an unequal social landscape.
• Examines the role of educational leaders’ responsibility as change agents to provide equitable and dynamic pathways for success.