José Rubio-Zepeda, MSCRP, MA

José Daniel Rubio-Zepeda (he/him) is an urban planner, scholar, and higher education practitioner. Born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and raised in the U.S., José is committed to creating access and belonging. His work bridges migration, education, and civic engagement with a focus on student success, community empowerment, and participatory planning. In his current role at SDSS, José helps create professional and academic development opportunities for the Dean’s Grad Scholars and Dean’s Sustainability Leaders Postdoctoral Fellowship Programs. He also helps create and bridge programming through various events at SDSS and aids in fostering a sense of belonging for grad students and postdocs across the Doerr School through the Access, Belonging, & Community (ABC) liaison program.  With experiences across the U.S., Latin America, and the Caribbean, José brings a holistic approach to his leadership grounded in collaboration, humility, and joy. José earned his dual master’s degrees in Community and Regional Planning (MSCRP) and Latin American Studies (MA) from the University of Texas at Austin. He received his undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Spanish (BA), with a minor in International Studies, Latin American emphasis from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Outside of his professional life, José enjoys time with loved ones, running, dancing, music, yoga, cooking, and discovering new places.