William Perez brings an abundance of research and a depth of understanding to the national discourse on immigration reform.

A native of El Salvador who came to the United States with his undocumented parents at the age of 10, he has devoted his work to telling the story of the nation’s more than 1.8 million undocumented students.

On October 9, Perez will present Immigration, English Learners and the Future of Latino Educational Access, the César Chávez Intercultural Lecture at Elmhurst College.

His lecture also is part of the Education in Crisis lecture series at Elmhurst College, a yearlong look at the significant challenges facing American education. Other speakers in the series will include Pulitzer Prize-winning author Taylor Branch and Coursera founder Daphne Koller.

An associate professor of education at Claremont Graduate University, Perez focuses his research primarily on the academic achievement and higher education success of immigrant students. Perez has expanded his expertise through work with such research institutes as the RAND Corporation, the Stanford Institute for Higher Education Research, and the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute.

His acclaimed book We ARE Americans: Undocumented Students Pursuing the American Dream (2009) was awarded the 2009 Mildred Garcia Prize for Excellence in Research by the Association for the Study of Higher Education. Several of his essays and editorials have been featured in the Huffington Post, the Chicago Tribune and the 21st Century Scholars Blog.

Perez’s talk at Elmhurst will begin at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 9, in the Founders Lounge of the Frick Center. A book-signing will follow the lecture. For educators, Perez’s lecture qualifies for Continuing Professional Development Units (CPDUs). Forms will be available at the event.

Admission is $10 for the general public and free for Elmhurst College students, faculty, staff and alumni. Tickets are available at the door or online. For more information, call (630) 617-3390.