Cristina Alfaro is Associate Vice President of International and Binational Affairs and Professor of Multilingual and Global Education at San Diego State University (SDSU), a proud Hispanic-Serving Institution. An internationally recognized scholar, educator, and advocate, she has dedicated more than 35 years to advancing multilingualism, intercultural understanding, educational equity, and the preparation of workforce-ready graduates.

Dr. Alfaro previously served as SDSU’s inaugural Provost Chair for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and as Chair of the Department of Multilingual Education. She is the Executive Director of the Center for Equity in Biliteracy and Binational Education Research, lead faculty for the Association of International Education Administrators Leadership Academy, and co-director of the Leadership Equity and Access for Languages (LEAL) program, which prepares the next generation of multilingual education leaders.

As the visionary architect of the ReBorder Binational and Bilingual Conference, now in its 8^th year, Dr. Alfaro established a premier interdisciplinary forum that brings together scholars, educators, policymakers, diplomats, community leaders, artists, and students from both sides of the Mexico–California border to advance meaningful dialogue, collaboration, and action in binational and bilingual education.

She also serves on the California Multilingual Education 4ALL Workforce Committee and has elevated multilingualism as an institutional imperative at SDSU. Her scholarship and leadership bridge research, policy, and practice in multilingual education and the internationalization of higher education.

Dr. Alfaro has received numerous honors for her leadership. She continues to champion educational systems that recognize multilingualism, intercultural humility, binational collaboration, and global understanding as essential strengths in an increasingly interconnected world.