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Student Profile: Gabriel Alvarez

Gabriel Alvarez headshot

Dual degree you are pursuing: J.D./Ph.D. in Criminology, Law and Society

Expected graduation: May 2028, J.D.; June 2029, Ph.D.

Research interests/agenda: Domestic Violence, Psychology and Law, Socio-Legal Studies of Family and Childhood, Family Demography, Health and Life Course Criminology

Past Education: 

  • University of California, Irvine – MA Social Ecology (Concentration in Psychology and Law), 2025
  • University of California, Irvine – MA Social Science (Concentration in Demographic and Social Analysis), 2024
  • Arizona State University – MS Criminology and Criminal Justice, 2022
  • Arizona State University – MPA Public Administration, 2022
  • Arizona State University – Graduate Certificate in Domestic Violence and Evidence-Based Practice, 2022
  • The University of Texas at San Antonio – BA Criminal Justice, 2019
  • The University of Texas at San Antonio – BA Psychology, 2019
  • Northeast Lakeview College – AA Criminal Justice, 2018

Academic Experiences, Awards and Honors:

  • NextGenPop Doctoral Student Mentor Fellowship, UC Irvine Center for Population, Inequality & Policy, 2025
  • Academic Freedom Award, UC Irvine Department of Criminology, Law and Society, 2025
  • Social Ecology Statistics Boot Camp Grant, UC Irvine School of Social Ecology, 2025
  • Center for Psychology and Law Travel Award, UC Irvine Center for Psychology and Law, 2025
  • Brython Davis Fellowship, UC Irvine Graduate Division, 2024

Employment/Career Highlights (positions, internships, externships, scholarship):

Shaw, O., Alvarez, G., & Mitchell, O. (2024). Intersectionality in probation: examining gender and race disparities in probation conditions and sentence length. Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice, 22(4), 336-356.

Alvarez, G. “Reassessing Criminalization: A Review of Global Responses to Domestic Violence.” (Revise & Resubmit Status) (Under Review)

Alvarez, G., Dykstra, V., Quas, J., & Stolzenberg, S. “Questioning Child and Adolescent Sex Abuse Victims at Trial: A Gender-Based Investigation." (Manuscript in Preparation)

Alvarez, G., Kokkalera, S. & Penera, D. “A Scoping Review of Domestic Violence Sentencing Law” (Manuscript in Preparation)


What inspired you to pursue dual degrees?:

My engagement with interdisciplinary perspectives began in my first year of the Ph.D. program, when I took Dr. Talesh’s course on the Interdisciplinary Perspectives of Law. Both before arriving at UC Irvine and throughout my time here, I have been committed to drawing from multiple disciplines to advance my broader goal of helping families navigate the civil and criminal legal systems. While my primary focus has been on conducting research in the social sciences, I have also felt compelled to pursue direct avenues of action aimed at improving life outcomes for families. Whether through scholarship or practice, I see the dual degree as providing both the tools and the perspective necessary to operate productively across these spaces. In doing so, it equips me with the best of both worlds and a unique lens to bridge academia and practice. 

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