Naxely Belmont Perez is a research assistant at CCRC working on the Optimizing Course Availability and Delivery for On-Time Completion project. She is currently pursuing her MA at Teachers College, Columbia University in the Department of Education Policy and Social Analysis with a specialization in history and education. Her primary research focuses on the socio-historical origins of community colleges, including how state and higher ed leaders originally envisioned community college pathways for historically underrepresented student groups. She is passionate about connecting historical inquiry to present day policy and practice.
At Teachers College (TC), Belmont Perez was selected as a W.E.B. DuBois Scholar / Transformative Research Award recipient under the Edmund W. Gordon Institute for Advanced Study for an archival research project centered on the experiences of formerly incarcerated women pursuing education. Under the Gordon Institute, she has also supported the Latinidad Curriculum Initiative by integrating student voices into pilot curricula and hosting collaborative co-curriculum design workshops for NYC educators and youth. She currently serves on the 2026-2027 Executive Board for the Coalition of Latinx Scholars at TC.
Prior to joining TC, Belmont Perez obtained her BA from UCLA where she majored in history and minored in education studies. She also has an AA from De Anza College. Having started her own academic journey at a California community college, she remains dedicated to uplifting the voices of students who follow that same path.