Victim Researcher Profile

Researcher Photo

Olivia Garcia

 EMAIL OLIVIA    
    

STATE

INSTITUTION

University of Texas, El Paso

TITLE

Director, Underserved Populations

EDUCATION

DISCIPLINE

Race and Ethnicity Politics

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

2-5 years

BIO

Dr. Garcia serves as the Director for the Underserved Populations for the National Center for Victims of Crime. She completed her doctorate in Political Science from UCLA with an emphasis on Race and Ethnicity Politics, Gender Studies and Political Theory. Her research focuses on the Violence Against Women Act and the ways in which the theory of intersectionality is absent from policy, although it is a necessary consideration when on-the-ground advocates are helping foreign-born, Latina, immigrant victims of intimate partner violence. Given Dr. Garcia’s research background, her assistance with providing victim-centered resources for underserved populations is widely utilized by a variety of the NCVC’s current projects. Some of her most recent accomplishments include her completion of a United Nations (UN) course on Women and Gender Empowerment. This course took Dr. Garcia to the UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. A co-authored publication on combating gender based violence in post-emergency situations is forthcoming. For the last few years, Dr. Garcia has taught courses at the University of Florida and the University of Texas, El Paso (UTEP) and as a Teaching Fellow from the UCLA Center for American Politics and Public Policy. Dr. Garcia also served as the Director for the Institute of Hispanic-Latino Cultures at the University of Florida and the Associate Director of the Graduate School’s Professional Development unit at UTEP. Olivia received her Bachelor of Arts from Beloit College and studied at the University of Arizona where she received her Master of Arts in Political Science. Olivia's first academic interest in Hispanic/Latino studies came with her Master’s thesis which was on the Chicano/a Southwest social movements. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at El Paso Community College in her hometown of El Paso, Texas since 2005 and is an affiliated faculty member with the University of Texas, El Paso’s Chicano Studies Department.

VICTIMIZATION FOCUS

Domestic and Family Violence, Homicide Survivors/Co-victims, Sexual Abuse or Violence (other than campus sexual assault), Immigrant victims

SPECIAL POPULATIONS

Deaf and hard-of-hearing victims, LGBTQ victims, Limited English proficiency victims, Men and boys of color, Older victims, Immigrants and refugees, Rural victims, Urban high crime neighborhood victims

RESEARCH EXPERTISE

Community-based participatory research, Data collection, Descriptive studies, Ethnography, Needs assessment, Program evaluation, Qualitative studies, Quantitative studies, Quasi-experimental studies, Training and/or technical assistance

VICTIM RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Community-based participatory research, Data collection, Descriptive studies, Ethnography, Needs assessment, Program evaluation, Qualitative studies, Training and/or technical assistance