Alejandra Fernandez Morgado began her current role as assistant professor of special education in the UMD Department of Education in August 2025.
Why did you choose to work at UMD?
I remember reading the job announcement and seeing how it explicitly intersected special education and social justice — two pillars that define my work. At the time, my home state in the South was experiencing a wave of legislation impacting the health, education, and freedom of multilingual and multicultural communities. Amidst that climate, I heard Governor Walz speak with an authenticity and love of community that drew my attention to Minnesota. When I realized the job I had "stumbled upon" was at UMD, it felt like a sign from the universe. This year has only magnified that feeling. I couldn't be prouder to join a collective that values advocacy, kindness, and resisting injustice. I came looking for freedom, and now I am here to fight for that freedom alongside my colleagues and students.
What do you like most about your job?
It rarely feels like "work" in the traditional sense. I love the reciprocity of the classroom — the idea that being an educator is equally about being educated by my students' perspectives and experiences. That constant cycle of learning keeps it vital.
What is your research or teaching focus?
My focus is on thrice-exceptionality: the intersection of giftedness, disability, and cultural/linguistic diversity. I examine the access that multiply marginalized learners have to advanced opportunities like gifted, enrichment, AP, IB, and honors programs. My goal is to disrupt the deficit-based systems and power structures that lead to the overrepresentation of these learners in special education and their stark underrepresentation in gifted tracks. By centering first-person narratives and testimonios, I hope to change the biases inherent in testing and teaching, ensuring every student's talents are validated.
Do you have any advice for students?
Wherever you go, try to create inclusive spaces that nurture a culture of respect and understanding. For those who will be educators, you will soon realize the incredible power (and responsibility) we carry; we are not here simply to teach, but to lift, nurture, and empower. Often, this begins with recognizing the individual talents of your students and providing them access to every opportunity. Advocating for access and building community is the heart of my teaching philosophy, and I hope it becomes central to yours.
What do you like to do in your free time?
While free time is not something I have a lot of, I cherish the moments enjoying a good meal with family and friends. I also enjoy gardening, films, exploring great restaurants, and traveling. When I travel, museums and galleries are my grounding force—they are where I go to absorb the spirit of the space I’m in and to help me reconnect.