Dolores Ortiz is an antiracist educator who believes Black Lives Matter and Undocumented, Queer, Disabled, Non-Traditional, and Formerly Incarcerated Students are always welcome in her classrooms. She is a proud first-generation college student and has taught in various Sociology and Ethnic Studies departments at both public and private, two-year and four-year institutions for over 15 years. Professor Ortiz strives to create inclusive classrooms where all students are represented in the course curriculum. Her areas of specialization are race and class inequality and gender and sexuality, she teaches from an intersectional perspective. As a faculty member, she enjoys supporting student organized activities and events, the Dream Resource Center, and OC Live.

In addition to teaching she has consulted on a range of social justice-oriented projects which center around public health, including mental health prevention and early intervention, gun violence prevention, Native young women’s reproductive health, childhood obesity, and urban youth and risky sexual behaviors.

At OC she teaches Introduction to Sociology, Social Problems, Race and Ethnic Relations, Contemporary American Family, Introduction to Human Services & Social Work, Crime and Society, Fieldwork/Practicum: Social Work & Human Services and Introduction to Social Justice Studies. She enjoys living in Oxnard and is a mom to one amazing teenage daughter, two silly dogs, and one grumpy cat. In her spare time, you might see her riding her bike around town or nearly falling over at stop lights.

Dr. Joshua Lieser came to Oxnard College in 2014 after completing his PhD in History at U.C. Riverside.  He has previously taught as an adjunct faculty member at U.C. Riverside, CSU Channel Islands, MiraCosta College, Mesa College, and Crafton Hills College.  His dissertation, entitled “Cultural Constructs, Corporate Sponsorship, & the Cold War: the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics,” is a reconsideration of the Cultural Cold War through the soft power expression of sports.  His areas of academic expertise include American History, American Sports History, U.S. Foreign Policy, World History, and Russian History.  

Prior to completing his PhD, Dr. Lieser completed his MA in History in 2008, a Single Subject Teaching Credential in 2001, and his BA in History in 2000 - all at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.  In addition to prior experience teaching at a number of colleges and universities, Dr. Lieser was a high school social studies teacher and men's basketball coach for seven years prior to seeking his PhD.  As a result, Dr. Lieser is especially interested in working with students who want to become teachers.