Dr. William Perez, a Professor at Claremont Graduate University,  is an emerging leader on research that examines the social and psychological development of immigrant and Latino students. He brings a depth of research experience to bear on the complex problems of academic achievement and higher education access. He research has been funded by the Haynes Foundation and the Fletcher Jones Foundation.

William’s new book is We ARE Americans: Undocumented Students Pursuing The American Dream (Stylus, July 2009). Informed by social science research, We ARE Americans blends the inspirational stories of optimism and perseverance of undocumented students with the critical policy implications of the continuing neglect of comprehensive immigration reform. Mixing personal narratives, policy analysis, and constitutional interpretation, We ARE Americans reads like a “collective biography,” while highlighting societal implications –leading the reader to engage in action to support marginalized undocumented students.

William has authored several articles and a book focusing on immigrant student achievement, linguistic and cultural diversity, and educational policy. He draws on over ten years of experience working at various research and policy centers including the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute, the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, the Stanford Center for the Study of Higher Education, and the RAND corporation where he worked as a social scientist on educational reform evaluation, international educational development, and immigrant health. With a background that combines multiple disciplines including psychology, political science, and sociology, he is dedicated to informing public discourse and policy decisions that impact immigrant students and their families.

William has presented his research on undocumented immigrants at various national and international research conferences and has been invited to lecture at various prestigious institutions of higher education including Harvard University, Stanford University, Brown University, UCLA, Pomona College, and Pitzer College. He has been quoted as an academic expert on immigrant students in various newspapers and broadcast media outlets.

Born in San Salvador, El Salvador, William came to the United States in the early nineteen eighties at the age of 10 to escape the civil war that began in 1979. He spent his remaining childhood in Pomona, California, attended Pomona College, and later earned a Ph.D. in child and adolescent development from Stanford University. He currently lives in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Los Feliz where he enjoys hiking the trails in nearby Griffith Park.  He competes in triathlons and is an avid fan of the local indie-rock scene.