Dr. Victor DeAlba was raised in the city of Lompoc and is a proud graduate of Lompoc High School. He earned his A.A. in Sociology from Allan Hancock College before transferring to UCLA, where he completed his B.A. in Sociology. Prior to returning to academia, he worked as a Community Engagement Specialist for Social Model Recovery Systems, serving communities in Boyle Heights and Skid Row in Los Angeles, California.

Dr. DeAlba recently completed his doctoral studies in educational leadership at The Pennsylvania State University. His scholarship explores the power of critical and transformative pedagogical spaces, amplifying Latina/o/x student voice, promoting educational opportunity, and countering inequity in urban school systems. He is the co-editor of We Are Children of the Corn/Somos Hija/o/xs del Maíz: Husks of Hope, Resistance, and Latina/o/x Educational Success and co-editor of his second edited volume, Transforming Education for Social Justice: Empirical Insights from Leadership, Equity, and Research in Action.