Alfredo Ortiz Aragón

Professor Office Location: GB 231 Phone: 210-805-2545 Email: alortiz1@uiwtx.edu

Bio

I am a Professor at the Dreeben School of Education at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) and current convener of the Adult Education, Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (AESIE) PhD Concentration. I have been actively engaged in community-based action research (AR) and non-profit capacity development for the last 24 years. My work focuses on participatory Action Research (AR), Community-Based Participatory Research, and participatory methodologies applied to community development, health equity, human rights, and strategic planning in complex environments.

In 2023-24, I was awarded the Moody Professorship for my high level of scholarship, teaching excellence and community service. The Moody Professor is the highest faculty honor bestowed by UIW (press release). As part of the award, I delivered the December 2023 Commencement address (you can watch here).

Education

Ph.D., Development Studies
Institute of Development Studies (IDS),
University of Sussex Brighton, United Kingdom

M.A., International Relations
St. Mary’s University San Antonio, Texas

B.A., Accounting
New Mexico State University Las Cruces, New Mexico

B.A., Foreign Languages (Spanish)
New Mexico State University Las Cruces, New Mexico

Work Experience

Professor
University of the Incarnate Word, Dreeben School of Education Graduate School
2015-Present (adjunct from 2015-2016)

Assistant Professor of Non-Profit Management and Social Change
Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS), Graduate School of International Policy & Management (GSIPM), Development Practice and Policy Program
2007-2021 (adjunct from 2016 to 2021)

Associate Tutor (Teaching Assistant)
University of Sussex, School Of Social Sciences & Cultural Studies,
Brighton, England
2009

Latin America Regional Coordinator & Pact Ecuador Country Director
Pact Inc.—see www.pactworld.org
2004 –2008
Quito, Ecuador

Financial Services Manager, Capacity Building Services Group
Pact Inc.
2000 -2004 (finance officer from 1999-2000)
Washington, DC

Special Agent
Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (CID)
1995
San Antonio, TX

Tax Auditor
California State Board of Equalization
1993 -1995
Los Angeles, CA

Recent Courses Taught

Action Research (AR)
Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR)
Qualitative Research Methods and Analysis
Advanced Qualitative Research Design and Analysis
Applied Ethnography in Fieldwork: Cultural Aspects of Community Engaged Research
Advanced Research Methods and Instrumentation
Entrepreneurship
Research in Entrepreneurship
Economic Development for Entrepreneurship

Scholarship

My scholarship shows a coherent effort to develop new knowledge and influence thinking on transformative approaches to action research (AR) for social change, while also providing accessible “how to” guidelines for new and experienced action researchers.

I recently co-lead an AR project that promotes equitable health and wellbeing by bringing together community members, CBOs, university students, professors, and local health jurisdiction workers. The project engages community actors in telling their own wellbeing stories that are then used by local groups to inspire advocacy and inform action. I am a thought leader in AR, co-authoring one of the leading books in the field (Action Research 5th Edition) and also co-edited the Action Research section of the recent Sage Handbook of Participatory Research and Inquiry. I have written many articles and chapter exploring creative methods to engage community members in meeting local challenges and am a facilitator in the annual Community-Based Participatory Research Institute at the University of New Mexico’s Center for Participatory Research.

Recent Publications:

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A., GILES MACEDO, J. C., ALZATE, C., & RETOLAZA EGUREN, I. (2023). ¿De Quién es este Conocimiento? Cuatro Cartas Reflexivas Hacia la Democratización del Conocimiento en Procesos Participativos. In H. M. Brunetti, B. Monje Barón, B. Noyer, A. Ugarte Delgado, & P. Urquieta Crespo (Eds.), ¿De quién es el conocimiento? Emancipación, Cruce de Saberes y lucha contra la pobreza Dossiers et documents de la Revue Quart Monde n° 31 (Vol. 31, pp. 47–78). ATD 4to Mundo. https://www.revue-quartmonde.org/11190#publi-toc

BEADLE, R., ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A., & STRINGER, E. (2023). Responding to cultural diversity through action and community-based participatory approaches in qualitative research. In R. J. Tierney, F. Rizvi, & K. Ercikan (Eds.), International encyclopedia of education (Fourth edition, pp. 169–178). Elsevier.

GUERRERO, Y., SANTIBAÑEZ, L., GARZA, N., ANDERSON, S., BERNAL, D., GARZA, A., FU-SOSNAUD, C.-M., BETHEA, D., RAMIREZ, Y., MARTINEZ, P., ARMIJO, J., COUVERTIER, C., ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A., & KROEGER, S. (2022). Sembrando Amor (Sowing the Seeds of Love): A Zine about Breastfeeding by Community Experts. UIW & Healthy Neighborhoods.

DEAN-COFFEY, J., GWYNN, C., MERTENS, D. M., & ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A. (2022). Transforming Research and Evaluation. In A. L. Plough (Ed.), Necessary Conversations (1st ed., pp. 171–185). Oxford University Press New York. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197641477.003.0016

BRYDON-MILLER M, ORTIZ ARAGÓN A, FRIEDMAN V AND KROEGER, S (2022) A Cartoon Rendition of “Ch 19: The Fine Art of Getting Lost: Ethics as a Guide to Transformative Learning in Participatory Research”. In: Burns D, Howard J, and Ospina SM (eds) The SAGE Handbook of Participatory Research and Inquiry. London: SAGE Ltd.: 248-62.

STRINGER ET AND ORTIZ ARAGÓN A (2021) Action Research. 5th Edition. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc.

ORTIZ ARAGÓN A AND BRYDON-MILLER M (2021) Show me the action! Understanding action as a way of knowing in participatory research. In: Burns D, Howard J, and Ospina SM (eds) The SAGE Handbook of Participatory Research and Inquiry. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.: 563-78.

BRYDON-MILLER M, ORTIZ ARAGÓN A AND FRIEDMAN V (2021) Ch 19: The Fine Art of Getting Lost: Ethics as a Guide to Transformative Learning in Participatory Research. In: Burns D, Howard J, and Ospina SM (eds) The SAGE Handbook of Participatory Research and Inquiry. London: SAGE Ltd.: 248-62.

BRYDON-MILLER M, KRAL M AND ORTIZ ARAGÓN A (2020) Participatory Action Research: International Perspectives and Practices. International Review of Qualitative Research 13(2). SAGE Publications Inc: 103–111. DOI: 10.1177/1940844720933225.

ORTIZ ARAGÓN A AND HOETMER R (2020) Flowing With the River’s Go: Seeking Ethical, Pragmatic, and Strategic Participation in the Design of a Regional Funding Strategy. International Review of Qualitative Research 13(2). SAGE Publications Inc: 112–139. DOI: 10.1177/1940844720933217.

ORTIZ ARAGÓN A (2020) Vislumbrando la universidad desde el territorio: La búsqueda de un aliado relevante (A glimpse of the university from a territorial lens: in search of a relevant ally). In: Larrea M (ed.) Roots and Wings of Action Research for Territorial Development. Bilbao: Instituto Vasco de Competitividad - Fundación Deusto, pp. 75–79.

BRADBURY, H., GLENZER, K., APGAR, M., EMBURY, D. C., FRIEDMAN, V., KJELLSTRÖM, S., LARREA, M., CHILDERS-MCKEE, C., HSIA, H.-C., ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A., GRAY, P., KU, H. B., PARENTI, M., TRAEGER, J., WARWICK, R., & DEVICHA, S. (2020). Action Research Journal’s seven quality choicepoints for action-oriented research for transformations. Action Research, 18(1), 3–6. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476750320904562

Recent Presentations:

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, BRYDON-MILLER, RAIDER ROTH, GOLD, & KROEGER, 2024, p)AR SIG Special Session: Do we feel at home yet at ICQI? Participatory Action Researchers looking for a home at ICQI: the (re) emergence of the (p)AR Special Interest Group, International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (Presented at in-person and separate virtual conference), Champaign, Illinois.

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A, 2024, p)AR Theorizing storytelling & Storydoing: How does participatory knowledge travel and what makes it take wings?, International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (Presented at in-person and separate virtual conference), Champaign, Illinois.

BRYDON-MILLER, ORTIZ ARAGÓN, COUVERTIER, KROEGER, 2024, Roles and Realms of Action Research as a Foundation for Doctoral Training, International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (Presented at in-person and separate virtual conference), Champaign, Illinois.

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A, 2024, Corazón Ministries, 'What if lived experience counted as expertise?' San Antonio, TX

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, & STRINGER, 2024, UIW Mexico MBA Students, “Action Research for Social Change”, San Antonio, TX

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A, 2024, Participatory Action Research (p)AR: Going from storytelling to storydoing to engage community expertise for change, Moody Professor Lectures, University of the Incarnate Word and Our Lady of the Lake

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, ESPARZA, SELLASSIE, KROEGER, 2023, From Participation and co‐creation to knowledge democracy and co‐control: implications for participatory research, Collaborative Action Research Network (CARN) Conference, Manchester, UK.

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, & BRYDON-MILLER, 2023, The 500 Hats of the Action Researcher: Seeking to align AR education with the actual “Self-in-Field” work of scholar-practitioners, Collaborative Action Research Network (CARN) Conference, Manchester, UK.

BRYDON-MILLER & ORTIZ ARAGÓN, 2023, Doctoral training in community-engaged Action Research - Round table discussion, Collaborative Action Research Network (CARN) Conference, Manchester, UK.

BRYDON-MILLER & ORTIZ ARAGÓN, 2023, Greenlighting the University: What can and are universities doing to help transition societies and economies to low-emission environments?, University of Bath, Bath, UK

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A, 2023, ”From storytelling to story "doing": How does participatory knowledge travel and what makes it take wings?”, Institute for Development Studies (IDS), Invited Professional Workshop, Brighton UK

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A, 2023, “The 500 Hats of the Action Researcher: Seeking to align AR education with the actual “Self-in-Field” work of community-scholar-practitioners.”, Institute for Development Studies (IDS), IDS Members Seminar, Brighton UK

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A, 2023, “Participation of those who know in acting, to learn, and learning, to act. A simple framework for understanding and applying action research”. Institute for Development Studies (IDS), Masters in Participation Seminar, Brighton UK

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A, 2022, What does it mean to be a scholar when working with community-based research? 500 Hats, Missing training, and the “whole” scholar UIW Graduate Studies Research Symposium.

SANTIBANEZ, FU-SOSNAUD, GARZA, & ORTIZ ARAGÓN, 2023, “Sowing Seeds of Love: Centering Community Voices to Create Supportive Environments for Breastfeeding/Chestfeeding”, National Association of Community Health Workers (NACHW) Unity Conference, Austin, TX

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, HERNANDEZ, SELLASIE, & VASQUEZ, 2023, PAR-SIG (re)Launch Symposium: Creating a space for Change at ICQI, International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Champaign, Illinois.

STRINGER, BEADLE, ORTIZ ARAGÓN, 2023, From Local to Global: Sustainable Change Through Action Research, International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Champaign, Illinois.

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, HERNANDEZ, & VASQUEZ, 2023, From Storytelling to Storydoing: Action Research for Community Health and Wellbeing, (Action Research: Participatory Methods for Community Voice and Power), International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Champaign, Illinois.

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, & ESPARZA, 2023, “Sembrando Amor: Sowing the Seeds of Love by Centering Community Knowledge for Health Equity”, UIW Research Week, Action Research for Community Health and Wellbeing Showcase (Dreeben School of Education and School of Nursing and Health Professions)

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, & ESPARZA, 2023, “Community-Engaged Participatory Action Research (PAR), Rewriting the Script for Equitable Healthcare”, UIW Research Week, Action Research for Community Health and Wellbeing Showcase (Dreeben School of Education and School of Nursing and Health Professions)

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A, & VASQUEZ, M, 2022, “Community-Engaged Participatory Action Research (PAR): Rewriting the script for equitable healthcare”, 2022 Partners for Advancing Health Equity Summit, New Orleans, LA.

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A, 2022, From Storytelling to Storydoing: Rewriting the script for equitable healthcare with visual, storied data., University of Cincinatti Action Research Center (ARC) Feed Your Mind series (I was an invited guest).

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A, 2022, ¿Como centramos las voces de las comunidaded que quermos ayudar?: Dilemas con el poder del facilitador para decidir el momento oportuno para aumentar la participación, y cómo hacerlo., Sage Handbook of Participatory Research Working group

RAIDER-ROTH, ORTIZ ARAGÓN, YILMAZLI TROUT & GOLD, 2022, Participatory Action Research (PAR) Special Interest Group (SIG) presentations at the 2022 International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Champaign, Illinois.

(p)AR-SIG (re)Launch Symposium: Participatory Action Research for a Critical Utopia

(p)AR-SIG (un)Symposium 2: Organizing the SIG moving forward

VASQUEZ, M, NEAL, J, COX, K, & ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A. (2022). Storytelling for Advocacy: Amplifying the Voices of Parents of Children with Autism. International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Champaign, Illinois.

ESPARZA, S, ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A., YILMAZLI-TROUT, I., & SALAZAR, P (2022). Rewriting the Script with Parents of children with Autism and Pre-Professional Healthcare Students for More Equitable Healthcare. International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Champaign, Illinois.

MARY BRYDON-MILLER (WITH STEVE KROEGER, ALFREDO ORTIZ ARAGÓN, COLIN BRADLEY, DR. MOHD SYAFIQ AIMAN BIN MAT NOOR, LESLEY FERKINS, MARICAR PRUDENTE, MIRIAM RAIDER-ROTH, PERNILLE CHRISTENSEN, AND SHANKAR SANKARAN) (2022) The Grand Tour: Exploring What’s New in Action Research, International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Champaign, Illinois.

FRIEDMAN, V, SYKES, I, & ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A. (2022). Self-in-Field Action Research: Redesigning an AR Course from a SiF Frame. International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Champaign, Illinois.

COUVERTIER, C, VASQUEZ, M, SALAZAR, P, PEREZ, M, HASKINS, E. FRIEDMAN, V, SYKES, I, & ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A. (2022), Co-teaching an PhD AR course using Self-in-Field Action Research, International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Champaign, Illinois.

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A, (2022) Sistematización de experiencias: Creating people’s theory by systematically reconstructing shared experiences. Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) Institute, University of New Mexico’s Center for Participatory Research (CPR)

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A, (2022), “Small Changes/Big Impacts” workshop—Fomentando la participacición de los estudiantes. . .en tiempos de Covid”, UIW Center for Teaching and Learning

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A. (2021). Sister Dorothy Ettling’s Participatory Worldview: How might co-participation be used to support San Antonio Communities in need? UIW 2021 October Season of Justice, Peace, Creation workshops, San Antonio, TX.

HERNANDEZ, A, ST. CLAIR, N, & ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A. (2021). Point / counterpoint on Onto-axio-positional-epistemology where we explored How does your philosophical positionality inform research. 2021 Doctoral Research Symposium

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A. (2021). From Storytelling to Story Doing: Moving from experience to action to become health equity allies. UIW Stories of Truth and Transformation Compassion, Solidarity in Civic Engagement, Teaching Social Justice, San Antonio, TX.

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A. (2021). Giving our stories wings: Helping our stories travel by creating visuals from our experiences to connect with others. UIW Stories of Truth and Transformation Compassion, Solidarity in Civic Engagement, Teaching Social Justice, San Antonio, TX.

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A., & BRYDON-MILLER, M. (2021). Action-oriented forms of participatory research. Institute for Development Studies (IDS) and Sage Publications, Brighton, UK.

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A, (2021) Sistematización de experiencias: Creating people’s theory by systematically reconstructing shared experiences. Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) Institute, University of New Mexico’s Center for Participatory Research (CPR)

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A. & YILMAZLI-TROUT, I. (2021). Amplified and muffled voices through digital media in times of pandemic. International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Champaign, Illinois.

Participatory Action Research (PAR) Special Interest Group (SIG) presentations at the 2021 International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Champaign, Illinois. All presentations with Mary Brydon-Miller, Ernie Stringer, Ros Beadle, and Inci Yilmazli Trout

Participatory Action Research for a Critical Utopia

How participatory methodologies inspire change through the action-knowledge nexus

Harvesting lessons learned & envisioning the PAR-SIG Moving forward

ORTIZ ARAGÓN, A, (2021) Rethinking Rigor in Action Research. The Action Research Podcast, Episode 20: https://the-action-research-pod.captivate.fm/episode/episode-20-rethinking-rigor-in-action-research-with-dr-alfredo-ortiz-aragon. “The AR Pod team has a “critically casual” conversation with Alfredo about issues of rigor, quality and what makes good action research”.

External Grants:

2021, Co-designer and principal investigator (PI) in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) funded Action Research for Community Health and Wellbeing (AR4CHW) grant ($229,000).

UIW Grants:

Fall 2024, Workload reassignment: “Designing a community-based action research graduate curriculum”

Awards and Recognitions

2023-24: University of the Incarnate Word Moody Professor
2022-2027: Robert McDermott Chair in Leadership

Service

Service to the Profession:

I am an active thought leader in the Action Research field and convenor of the Action Research Special Interest group of the annual International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (ICQI).

Service to the Community:

Much of my work is done in collaboration with specific communities (as noted throughout).

Service to the University (2021-Present):

I co-taught a major module of two of Dr. Shandra Esparza’s undergraduate courses: Cultural issues in healthcare and Professional development in healthcare from 2022 to 2024. In these classes we continued to develop the “Rewriting the Script for Equitable Health Care” community-engagement module, as we engaged about 10 parents and 90 students (total) in working together to create art, professional development and advocacy activities to help rewrite the script from poor to positive experiences in the health care system.

We held two major events as part of this process

In April, we held the event “Story-based art to inspire action for health equity”, an event that brought together the pre-health professions students and parents of children with autism to share art they created based on stories shared about inadequate treatment in the health care system. The art for advocacy event was held at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio.
In December, we facilitated the event “Health Care Allies: “Rewriting the Script for Equitable Health Care”, where we shared a new round of art created from stories, and how the students had used the art to inspire learning or change.

This was in addition to 2 in-class community engagements in Spring and 3 in Fall.

Committees

DSE Graduate Studies Department committee member

Graduate Council

Faculty Senate

Member of UIW Mission and Ministry Committee