Born and raised in the South Side of Tucson, Arizona, Dr. Jessala A. Grijalva began her academic journey at Pima Community College before transferring to the University of Arizona, where she graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in Government and Public Policy—all while raising three children as a single mother. She earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame in August 2024, defending her dissertation, From Binary to Multidimensional: Reframing Latino Acculturation in Political Science, under the guidance of Dr. Luis Fraga, with committee members Dr. Ricardo Ramirez and Dr. David Cortez.
Dr. Grijalva's dissertation challenges traditional binary models of acculturation by introducing the Multidimensional Latino Acculturation Model (MLAM). This framework moves beyond simplistic assimilation narratives to identify a spectrum of acculturation orientations, including culture-affirming, assimilationist, and bicultural orientations. Additionally, she introduces a novel category—demicultural—a previously unrecognized hybrid form of acculturation. Her research examines how these orientations shape Latino public opinion on key issues such as immigration, as well as the development of Latino political identities and ideologies.
Her work is further distinguished by methodological innovation. In her dissertation, she developed a Comparative Cluster Analysis (CCA) framework with rigorous evaluative criteria for algorithm selection. Her recent research on Latino gender dynamics integrates Classification and Regression Trees (CART) with Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to enhance mixed-method inquiry. Currently, she is pioneering a multilayered methodological approach that employs random forests and bootstrap resampling to analyze identity measurement across major political surveys, demonstrating how survey design influences our understanding of Latino political behavior and identity formation.
Since 2024, Dr. Grijalva has served as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Institute for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame. In this role, she leads the $100,000 "Reenvisioning Multiracial Democracy" initiative as Author and Implementation Lead, supports faculty and student research development, and directs academic programming and initiatives.
Beyond academia, Dr. Grijalva is the founder of Grijalva Strategic Consulting, which provides research support, AI implementation strategies, and data-driven workflow optimization for individuals and organizations. Her consulting work specializes in advanced research design, customized AI integration, and strategic solutions tailored to interdisciplinary scholarship.
Maintaining an active research pipeline, Dr. Grijalva continues to advance scholarship on Latino political behavior, gender dynamics, and methodological innovation, positioning her for a future tenure-track appointment (Fall 2026).