D.S.W., University of Southern California, 2018

M.S.W., University of Southern California, 2007

B.A., San Jose State University, 1999

Dr. 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, 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 range of practical approaches addressing violence-related trauma through violence reduction, prevention, and intervention 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.