Dr. A. Stefanie Ruiz
Doctor of Philosophy in Social Welfare
I am an Assistant Professor at Clemson University’s Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management Department.
My research focuses on exploring minority experiences in majority spaces and understanding how these experiences influence social identity and integration.
Services
Interested in collaborating or building a partnership? I offer teaching, research and consulting services in and beyond academia.
Teaching & Instruction
I design and deliver workshops, seminars, and training programs for students and professionals.
Research & Scholarly Activities
I am happy to partner with community organizations around research on minority experiences in majority spaces.
Consulting & Capacity Building
By connecting academic knowledge with community needs, I partner with organizations to help bridge the gap between theory and practice, promoting sustainable solutions and positive social change. I offer consulting services providing this expertise in several areas.
My passion lies with minority experiences in majority spaces
About Me
Before earning my PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, I pursued a Master's degree in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the Rothberg International School of Hebrew University after completing my Bachelor's degree in International Business from ESB Business School in Germany.
Throughout my life, I have lived in five different countries and acquired fluency in Spanish and German. I was born and raised in a small coffee farming town in Panama ...
UPDATE: Forthcoming Book Publication (2027)
Dr. Ruiz is a co‑editor of the forthcoming scholarly volume The Paradox of Nonprofit Discrimination: Global Reflections on the Dynamics of Exclusion and Inclusion, scheduled for publication in 2026 by Palgrave Macmillan. As part of the editorial team, Dr. Ruiz has helped shape a collection of internationally grounded chapters that challenge conventional assumptions about discrimination in the nonprofit sector and reframe it as a complex, context‑dependent practice tied to equity, community needs, and mission‑driven decision‑making. The book brings together contributors from across the Majority and Minority World and offers a nuanced examination of how nonprofits navigate the paradox of serving marginalized communities while making necessary, and sometimes difficult, choices about inclusion and exclusion.