2021 Centennial Achievement Doctorate Degree Awardees

2021 Centennial Achievement Doctorate Degree Awardees

Sophie S. Alves

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Sophie S. Alves

Sophie S. Alves is a doctoral candidate at the University of Arizona College of Social and Behavioral Sciences with a major in Mexican American studies and a minor in anthropology.  

As a first-generation student and the daughter of immigrants, navigating the educational system has been a challenge. Sophie was raised in an impoverished neighborhood, with limited access to health care, and exposure to violence, abuse, xenophobia, discrimination, harassment and more. Those experiences shaped her into the person she is today and turn her into an advocate for diversity, equity, justice, inclusion and human rights.  

Sophie has actively participated in marginalized students’ success, outreach, mentoring and retention in her different positions and volunteer work. She has presented at several conferences, led workshops, helped implement tutoring services within University of Arizona cultural centers, raised money for undocumented students, and worked on projects aimed at reducing racial and ethnic health disparities. Additionally, she has held positions on several committees, such as the Articulation Task Force Application Committee, which created a seamless pipeline from community college to university for Latinx students.  

Sophie’s commitment has been recognized through several honors, such as the Arizona Blue Chip Program Appreciation Certificate for Serving as a Mentor, the Outstanding Service to Arizona Students and Ethnic Studies award from Pima Community College, the Association for Ethnic Studies President’s Award for Exceptional Commitment in Recognition and Appreciation of Outstanding Leadership as Graduate Student Representative and Awards Co-Chair, and the Peter W. Likins Inclusive Excellence Award.

Her dissertation, "A Wall of Silence: Denaturalizing Anti-Immigrant Discourses about Mexican Immigrant Women and their Babies," examines the role played by immigration on Mexican immigrant women’s decision-making regarding family planning as well as investigates the ways in which their U.S.-born children “carry the border with them” and the lasting impacts immigration has on their identity formation.  

After graduation, Sophie plans on dedicating her life to human rights at local, national and international levels. 


Michelle Rascón-Canales 

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Michelle Rascón-Canales

Chris Richards

Michelle Rascón-Canales is pursuing her doctorate in sociocultural anthropology. Michelle received a Bachelor of Arts in sociocultural anthropology from the University of Arizona School of Anthropology in 2011, a Master of Social Work from Arizona State University in 2014, and a Master of Science in family studies and human development from the University of Arizona in 2019. Michelle practiced social work for seven years with undocumented children and specifically with survivors of human trafficking before returning to school to pursue her doctorate.

Michelle is an applied and sociocultural anthropologist whose research agenda centers on childhood migration. Her dissertation research investigates the separation of migrant children from their parents along the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. As a master's student, Michelle focused her research on the ecological contexts of immigration policy on the trajectories of young people. Her qualitative study examined the lives of young people who are recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Since 2009, she has also worked in various research labs on behavior coping studies, mixed-method civic engagement studies, and Youth Participatory Action Research, centering the hope and resiliency of the community of South Tucson.

Michelle was born and raised on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border in Tucson, Arizona, and Caborca, Sonora, respectively. Raised in a multi-status family, the borderlands largely inform her experiential knowledge and scholarship. Michelle worked as an anthropology instructor over the summers for several years and now holds an appointment as a social work instructor at ASU.

The hardships Michelle experienced while navigating college as a first-generation student have been an impetus for her commitment to advocacy and service on the University of Arizona campus. Michelle is passionate about modeling vulnerability, kindness and humanization in the classroom. She is also a foster parent and a volunteer child advocate. Michelle’s mission in life is to help children and youth heal from structural and intergenerational violence and to inspire critical and compassionate practitioners to take on this mission as well.


Felisia Tagaban Gaskin

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Felisia Tagaban Gaskin

Felisia Tagaban Gaskin is Diné (Navajo) of the Tódich'ii'nii (Bitter Water) and Tachii'nii (Red Running Into the Water) clans, she also is Tlingit and of the Wooshkeetaan (Shark) clan.

Her story begins by acknowledging and honoring her parents. Her mom, Marianne, is a beautiful and proud Diné woman from Black Mesa, Arizona. Marianne was born and raised on the Navajo nation and, because of her, Felisia is rich with strength and a desire to help others. Felisia’s dad, Felipe, is a Tlingit/Filipino fisherman and storyteller from Petersburg, Alaska.  He was the first in his family to go to college and, because of him, Felisia carries a deep respect for Native educators and Indigenous ways of knowing. 

Felisia is a doctoral student in the College of Education Center for the Study of Higher Education. She also serves as a University of Arizona coordinator in partnership in a newly established collaboration with Sunnyside Unified School District. In her role, Felisia works directly with Native high school students to support their pathways into higher education while performing outreach and recruitment for the university. Though she is personally invested and believes in the efficacy and value of supporting each student and family, she is also aware of larger systemic and structural issues at both institutions. For that reason, she is also motivated to pursue her research interests, which include studying the embedded (and often invisible) effects of colonization and assimilation in educational settings. Through her work and her future research, she plans to create solutions by disrupting harmful institutional practices and by problematizing the systems, structures and policies that offer little to no support for Indigenous students.

As she continues to advocate for Native students and communities, she is honored to be recognized for her heart to support others. She attributes every honor and award to the love of the Lord, her husband, Sylvester Gaskin, her family, and her community of friends and allies.