Dr. Cabrera is a full professor in the Higher Education concentration. His research interests include the impact of college on students, college choice, classroom experiences, minorities in higher education, and college outcomes. He was also co-principal investigator for the IES grant titled Dream Deferred, which provided a most comprehensive review of the impact of GEAR UP on awareness and readiness for college among low-income middle school students. He was the co-leader of the Diversity Institute, a project funded by NSF seeking to create inclusive teaching practices in STEM fields.