Ed De Avila Ph.D.

Without either a high school diploma or GED, Ed De Avila obtained a Ph.D. in developmental psychology and has published widely on issues relating to language, culture, and schooling.

He has lectured at major American universities like Stanford, University of California, Harvard, and Columbia, testified before congress on national assessment, and served as a senior consultant to state and federal educational agencies. Dr. De Avila has won grants and awards from the Ford Foundation, Canada Council, US Office of Education and others. He co-developed a Peabody award-winning national children’s television series, and coauthored one of the most widely used language proficiency tests in the United States.

When he is not traveling around the world, Ed De Avila lives part of the year with his wife Dr. Patricia-Arce in the Bay Area overlooking San Francisco where he plays golf and makes Japanese style furniture. Otherwise, he is on the beach with Patricia in Oaxaca three or four months a year, where he plays with his grand kids, reads fat books and counts the waves.