Profile for Jose Rubio-Zepeda

Brief biography

José Daniel Rubio-Zepeda (he/him/his) is an urban planner, scholar, activist, and practitioner based in La Crosse, WI. 

José is a native of Tegucigalpa, Honduras and immigrated to the U.S. at a young age. His recent research interests focus on the academic and financial retention of minoritized students in higher education. His interests center the experiences of marginalized groups with topics related to migration, human rights, transnationalism, globalization, and their various intersections. He has researched and written about the lives of Dominican and Haitian migrants on the island of Hispaniola.  His interests also focus on the African Diaspora in Central America, Latinx communities in the U.S., and the experience of males of color in higher education.

He has worked both internationally and locally in the areas of migration, citizenship, community development and engagement, coalition building, and participatory planning. Central to his work are topics related to social justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, access, community engagement and outreach. 

José holds a M.S. in Community and Regional Planning and M.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. He also holds a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish, with a minor in International Studies, Latin American emphasis, from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. 

When not immersed in writing or research, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, running, dancing, listening to music, cooking, and planning his next travel destination.