Victor Rios

Victor Rios, Ph.D.

Professor, Author and Speaker, University of California, Santa Barbara

Rios grew up in a single parent household in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Oakland, surrounded by drugs and gangs. He dropped out of school in the eighth grade and ended up in juvenile hall by the age of fifteen.
An award-winning college professor, author, and speaker, Rios works with educators and organizational leaders on equity, anti-racism, cultural responsiveness, resilience, closing the opportunity gap, teacher well-being, and restorative justice.
His work and life story is featured in The Pushouts, an award-winning documentary by filmmaker Katie Galloway. The film focuses on educational equity and supporting marginalized students in building a voice and succeeding in life.
Author of multiple publications, articles and books, including: “Human Targets: Schools, Police, and the Culture of Control"; “My Teacher Believes in Me!"; “Street Life: Poverty, Gangs, and Ph.D"; “Project GRIT: Generating Resilience to Inspire Transformation", and award-winning “Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys".
Awarded the 2017 "Public Understanding of Sociology Award" by the American Sociological Association. The award is given to a "person or persons who have made exemplary contributions to advance the public understanding of sociology, sociological research, and scholarship among the general public."

Notable CSU Alumni in education