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Fall 2024 On-Campus MSW Application Main Deadline: April 1, 2024
Summer 2024 Online MSW and MSN Application Deadline: March 12, 2024
Summer 2024 DSW Application Deadline: March 19, 2024

Robert Hernandez

Assistant Teaching Professor

Educates and engages in practice-driven research to address critical areas of society.

Media Contact
Robert Hernandez
Phone:  213.740.2711
Rank:  Teaching Faculty

Robert Hernandez

Assistant Teaching Professor

Educates and engages in practice-driven research to address critical areas of society.

Media Contact

Biography

Robert Hernandez aims to educate and engage in practice-driven research to address critical areas of society that continue to hinder communities from flourishing. His areas of interest include vulnerable youth populations, adolescent social issues, adolescent gang intervention, strength-based/resiliency and youth empowerment models of practice. In particular, Professor Hernandez's work examines risk and protective factors within communities that are associated with vulnerable youth populations residing in trauma exposed communities.
His focus is on advancing marginalized populations through a wide-range of practice approaches addressing violence-related trauma through violence reduction, prevention, intervention, diversion and reentry strategies. His area of emphasis is exploring violence related-trauma due to urbanization and rapid development and its impact on healthy youth development as well as the implications on urban communities as a whole. Professor Hernandez is the current chair of the Juvenile Justice Advisory Council for Los Angeles Congressional District 29. In addition, je is the founder and board chair of Visionary Youth Los Angeles (VYLA), a nonprofit organization centered around youth voices for change.
In 2014 and 2023, Professor Hernandez was awarded the highly-acclaimed Jane Adams Award from the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, presented to the instructor of the year as voted by the students. In 2014, he was awarded Most Influential Professor of Color by the Asian Pacific American Student Assembly and Academic Culture Assembly.

Education

University of Southern California

DSW 2018

University of Southern California

MSW 2007

California State University, San Jose

BA 1999

Area of Expertise

  • Social Work
  • Adolescent Gang Intervention
  • Adolescent Social Issues
  • Youth Development and Resiliency

Industry Experience

  • Social Services
  • Education/Learning
  • Health and Wellness

Affiliations

  • Co-founder of Visionary Youth Center

Links