William Perez

William Perez is a nationally recognized scholar, author, and professor whose research on undocumented students and immigrant education has reshaped policy and practice across the country. He speaks on immigration, educational equity, and the resilience of immigrant youth, drawing from two decades of work at the intersection of psychology, policy, and higher education access. His scholarship earned him the 2026 Scholars of Color in Education Distinguished Career Contribution Award from the American Educational Research Association.

A Voice for Undocumented Students
Perez is a professor and chair of the Department of Educational Leadership at Loyola Marymount University, where he studies the social and psychological conditions that shape academic success among immigrant, undocumented, indigenous, and deported students in the United States and Mexico. He earned his Ph.D. in Child and Adolescent Development and Educational Psychology from Stanford University and previously held appointments at the RAND Corporation, the Stanford Institute for Higher Education Research, the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, and the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute.

Research, Recognition & Impact
His award-winning book We ARE Americans: Undocumented Students Pursuing the American Dream received the 2009 Mildred Garcia Prize for Excellence in Research and was named Publishers Weekly Pick of the Week. His follow-up Americans by Heart won the 2013 Critics Choice Award from the American Educational Studies Association. Perez has been interviewed by NBC Nightly News, the LA Times, the Washington Post, PBS, and NPR. He speaks on immigrant rights, supporting English Language Learners, educational equity, and creating inclusive academic environments.

Latino/Hispanic Student Education Policy

Immigrant students

Latinos/Hispanic education

English Language Learners

Latino/Hispanic Higher Education Access

Undocumented Students