Dr. Cristina Alfaro

Dr. Cristina Alfaro is the Associate Vice President for International and Binational Affairs at San Diego State University (SDSU), a nationally recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution committed to educational access, innovation, and excellence. She previously served as SDSU's inaugural Provost Chair for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, providing strategic leadership to advance institutional equity and inclusive excellence across the university.

An internationally recognized scholar, educator, and advocate, Dr. Alfaro is Professor of Multilingual and Global Education and former Chair of the Department of Dual Language and English Learner Education in SDSU's College of Education. For more than 35 years, she has been a leading voice in multilingual education, educational equity, and global engagement, pioneering California's largest multilingual and international teacher preparation program. Her work has transformed how educators are prepared to serve multilingual learners, transnationally mobile students, and culturally diverse communities.

As Executive Director of the Center for Equity in Biliteracy and Binational Education Research, Dr. Alfaro leads interdisciplinary research and cross-border collaborations that strengthen multilingual education, educator preparation, and international partnerships throughout the Americas and beyond. Her scholarship focuses on developing educators' capacity to create equitable, culturally sustaining learning environments while advancing innovative approaches to bilingual, transborder, and global education.

Dr. Alfaro is also the visionary founder of the ReBorder Conference, now in its eighth year, one of the nation's premier forums exploring multilingualism, migration, diplomacy, economics, education, and equity through transnational and interdisciplinary perspectives. Under her leadership, the conference has become a catalyst for international collaboration, innovative research, and transformative educational practice.

A sought-after keynote speaker and consultant, Dr. Alfaro delivers engaging presentations that connect research, policy, and practice on multilingual education, educational leadership, biliteracy, equity-centered educator preparation, transborder education, internationalization in higher education, and culturally responsive teaching. Her work inspires educators, policymakers, and institutional leaders to reimagine education systems where multilingualism, cultural diversity, and global citizenship are recognized as powerful assets.

Her leadership has earned numerous national and international honors, including the California Association for Bilingual Education Leadership Award, the San Diego County Office of Education Biliteracy Leadership Award, the SDSU College of Education Excellence in Teaching Award, and the National Outstanding Latina in Higher Education Award. She has authored and edited numerous books, scholarly publications, and policy reports, including the Handbook of Dual Language Bilingual Education Research, helping shape educational policy and practice across the United States and around the world. Through her scholarship, leadership, and unwavering commitment to educational justice, Dr. Alfaro continues to influence the future of multilingual, binational, and global education.