Frances Contreras, PhD

Professor, School of Education 
University of California, Irvine 

Frances Contreras, PhD, has over 20 years of administrative leadership in higher education. She is a professor of education and served as the first Chicana/Latina Dean to lead a School of Education in the UC System. She also served as a professor and associate vice chancellor for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at UC San Diego and Director of Higher Education Programs at the University of Washington, Seattle. 

Her research focuses on issues of equity and access for underrepresented students across the P-20 education continuum. Her work has been published in leading education journals and academic presses, including four book manuscripts.

Contreras served as co-chair and co-founder of the Chicano/Latino Advisory Council to the UC President, working to increase Chicano/Latino representation in leadership across the UC System. She was previously honored as an “Emerging Scholar” and the “Top 25 to Watch” among academicians by Diverse Magazine. She was the recipient of a lifetime achievement award by the Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs. She was the recipient of the Cesar Chavez Faculty Award (2021), and the City of San Diego honored her with “Dr. Frances Contreras Day” (December 17, 2021) in recognition of her leadership and service to the City and County of San Diego. Contreras earned her Bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley, Master’s degree from Harvard University and PhD in Administration and Education Policy from Stanford University.