William Rodriguez

William Rodriguez is a senior lecturer at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. He teaches primarily in the areas of youth justice and advocacy, juvenile law, and positive youth development. His pedagogical teaching approach is to integrate much of his experience as a practitioner to the theoretical foundations of knowledge that are discussed in the classroom in hopes of inspiring and motivating young people to become change agents and advocates of social justice reform. He is a passionate and zealous advocate for human rights, educational equity, and inclusion and criminal justice reform.

Professor Rodriguez has served in many leadership and professional capacities serving multicultural communities. He is the former executive director of the Boston Campaign for Proficiency, La Alianza Hispana, and the Community Resources Crime and Justice Institute. He is also the co-designer and content creator of Re-imagining Juvenile Justice, a paradigm-shifting national workforce development initiative training juvenile and child welfare professionals across the country in positive youth development and cross-sector agency partnerships. He possesses a portfolio that extends over 40 years in the criminal justice and education law and policy reform arena. He has served as a member of numerous national, state, and local boards for nonprofits providing technical assistance in capacity building, strategic planning, and leadership development.

Professor Rodriguez is the recipient of the 2022 Legacy Award from Northeastern University and the 2016 Wheelock College Cynthia Longfellow Excellence in Teaching Award. He is currently working on his memoir, From the Ghetto to the White Ivory Towers of Academia: How Intrinsic Resiliency Helped Me Survive and Succeed Alone, and coauthoring a book with his sister Dr. Myrna Rodriguez on racial and ethnic equity and equality in public education.

Pronouns: he/him/his

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