Patrick Lopez-Aguado

Patrick Lopez-Aguado is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Santa Clara University's College of Arts and Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from UC Santa Barbara and a B.A. from Loyola Marymount University. His research focuses on race and incarceration, juvenile justice, youth street cultures, and urban ethnography, with a notable book exploring how carceral systems impact high-incarceration neighborhoods. At SCU, he teaches courses such as Principles of Sociology, Criminal Justice System, and Sociology of Law.

His work combines ethnographic methods with critical analyses of systemic inequality, particularly in urban contexts. Recent publications include critiques of gang enhancements in California sentencing and studies on gang identity formation in marginalized communities. Lopez-Aguado has been quoted in NPR and the East Bay Times, advocating for criminal justice reform, and contributed to policy evaluations like the Santa Barbara School District Gang Intervention Specialist Report.

Outside academia, Lopez-Aguado enjoys traveling, horror films, and cultivating a cactus/succulent garden. He joined Santa Clara University in 2013 and resides in Mountain View, CA.