Richard Orozco

Rick came to UAS from Oregon State where he had been an Assistant Professor in Secondary Education specializing in discourses regarding students of color. Dr. Orozco received his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. While pursuing his doctorate, he taught classes at the UA in the Mexican American Studies and Research Center. He has regional teaching experience and taught Social Studies at Sunnyside High School in Tucson for 15 years.

His research interests include the educational experiences of Mexican American students and discourses related to their schooling. A combination of robust hands on field experiences combined with his academic accomplishments will bring students in the Teacher Education program at UA South great opportunities to learn relevant teaching skills while understanding classroom equity and unique regional educational needs. He recently completed research and published work that investigates the effects of state legislation on the stress and schooling engagement of Mexican American students. Currently, Dr. Orozco is part of a larger NSF funded research project that is investigating prospective and new math teacher conceptualizations and practices of equity.