CEW+ commends Solangel’s dedication, vision, and commitment to education access and names her a Gail Allen Scholar.

Solangel Troncoso is a determined rising scholar in the fields of psychology and women’s and gender studies. From a young age, Solangel recognized the power of education: despite hardships growing up, she remained determined to excel academically and ultimately earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and women’s and gender studies from Rutgers University. At Rutgers, she also participated in education access programs such as the Educational Opportunity Fund, which supports motivated and talented students from economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, and the McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, which prepares participants for doctoral studies through research and scholarly activities. These experiences furthered Solangel’s determination both to pursue a PhD and to ensure that students from marginalized backgrounds feel a strong sense of belonging and are equipped to demand equitable access to educational opportunities and guidance. Solangel worked in college-access nonprofits for several years before beginning her doctoral studies at UM-Ann Arbor.

Now a PhD candidate, Solangel’s research focuses on gender essentialism as a belief system expressed in various language choices. Her advisors remark that she has “unparalleled energy and commitment,” distinguishing herself with “her incisive questions, her ability to make remote and important connections between ideas and literatures, and her determination to operate at the highest level as a colleague and a scholar in every situation.” After completing her PhD, Solangel envisions serving as a professor and growing as a critical scholar at the forefront of gender, sexuality, and race psychological research. She also hopes to start a nonprofit that provides mentorship, research skills, academic application support, and a safe space to thrive for the next generation.

CEW+ commends Solangel’s dedication, vision, and commitment to education access and names her a Gail Allen Scholar.