Roberto Rivera

University of Illinois

Roberto Rivera, Ph.D., is a global leader in culturally sustaining efforts promoting healing, well-being, and social-emotional wellness in school communities. With over 25 years of youth development and education work, his scholarship centers on community-based approaches. Once labeled an “at-risk” student with learning disabilities, Rivera earned a BA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Recognized among America’s Top Young Change Agents, he advances socially just, culturally sustaining practices.