Alma R. Martinez, holds a Ph.D. in directing and critical theory in drama from Stanford University, an MFA in acting from the University of Southern California, and a BA in theater from Whittier College. A professional actor, she is a 30-year member of El Teatro Campesino and has co-starred in the films Zoot Suit, Born in East LA, Under Fire, Barbarosa; has appeared On and Off Broadway and; in regional theaters across the country. She has studied at the Centro Universitario de Teatro (Universidad Autonoma de Mexico), Royal Academy of Dramatic Art,  and with Arianne Mnouckine, Jerzi Grotowski, Lee Strasberg, Augusto Boal, and Ana Deveare Smith. Areas of interest include acting, directing, Chicana/o theater, Luis Valdez and El Teatro Campesino,  Mexican and Latin American theater, performance race theory, and Chicana/o and Latina/o representation in film. She is currently an assistant professor at Pomona College in Claremont, CA.