Dr. Cristina Ortiz

Dr. Cristina Ortiz is an experienced educator who is committed to teaching racially and socioeconomically diverse students and helping them navigate higher education. She was born and raised in Stockton, CA and attended Commodore Stockton Skills School and Franklin High School. She was the first in her family to attend college and received a BA from UC Berkeley, and an MA and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. 
 
Dr. Ortiz’s approach to teaching is to create an environment where students can relate to course material and incorporate the content into their own life experience. She places an emphasis on self-awareness in her classes because she don’t see her job as simply teaching course content – instead, she sees herself as training and teaching individuals to develop a greater understanding of their position in our society compared to others. She want students to gain an understanding of the lives and experiences of those around them so that they can use this knowledge to be better people and live more fulfilling lives – both personally and professionally.
 
Dr. Ortiz has interests in the topics of race and ethnicity, with an emphasis on parental racial socialization. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, home renovation projects, exploring nature, and traveling.