Dr. Victor Rios, Ph.D

Dr. Victor Rios grew up in Oakland, California in a single parent household, in poverty and on welfare. He joined a gang at the age of thirteen and by age sixteen he had dropped out of school and had been incarcerated several times. Having witnessed the tragic murder of his best friend by gang rivals, Victor hit a critical juncture in life at which point he made the decision to transform. With the support of educators and mentors, Victor redirected his attitude towards life, and returned to school to eventually acquire a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley.

In his riveting keynote and assembly presentations, Dr. Victor Rios uses his personal story to discuss how personal and institutional "illusions" contribute to academic failure. He speaks about how young people often use their "attitude" to solve their problems and how this strategy often leads to detrimental consequences, such as the murder of his best friend at age 15. He discusses practical pathways to transformation relevant to the lives of students. Dr. Rios speaks about his own personal transformation by taking advantage of the support that teachers and programs provided him and discusses how these efforts can be replicated.

About Dr. Rios

Dr. Rios is currently an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He conducts research and teaches classes on Inner City Youth, Youth Culture, Gangs, and Juvenile Justice. He is a former Title I Middle School and High School Gang Prevention Counselor and Community Youth Programs Director. Professor Rios has published a number of articles on marginalized youths and is now authoring a book titled Punished: The Criminalization of Inner City Youth with New York University Press.

View Dr. Rios' Website.