Thea Sweo Alvarado holds a B.A. in Sociology from UC Berkeley and an M.A. in Social Science with a concentration in Demographic and Social Analysis (DASA) from UC Irvine. She completed her Ed.D. through UC Davis' Capital Area North Doctorate in Educational Leadership (CANDEL) Program. She chairs the Academic Senate's Faculty Committee on Online Education, and is Co-Chair of the Campus Distance Education Committee. She is a tenured professor in Sociology, serving as a chair for the Social Sciences Division, Student Learning Outcomes Coordinator, and as the PCC Faculty Accreditation Coordinator. She is a passionate advocate of Open Education Resources (OER), online education, and equity for all students.