Robert Unzueta
Adjunct Faculty
Professional Overview
I was born and raised in Sacramento, California, and am a former Saint Mary's College of California student. My academic journey and love for learning happened at this campus a little under 20 years ago. I am excited to be returning home and bringing my years of experience back to my campus community.
I earned my Ph.D. from the Department of Education, Culture, and Society at the University of Utah. My dissertation research is on the adverse impact of zero-tolerance discipline policies on Black and Brown male youth in the city of Sacramento from 1992-1997. The driving question behind my educational trajectory is why I knew more people incarcerated than admitted into college.
I hold a master's in Mexican-American Studies from San Jose State University and my B.A. from Saint Mary’s College of California in History. I have worked with community colleges, small liberal arts colleges, and credit recovery schools to develop pipeline programs for “non-college-bound” youth through Ethnic Studies Curriculum & Pedagogy. I oversaw the development and implementation of Ethnic Studies for the entire district of Portland Public Schools. In short, I am dedicated and committed to teaching, which has become my true calling.