Alejandro del Carmen was born in the small town of Jinotepe, Nicaragua. His family fled to the United States in 1979, at the end of one of the most violent civil wars in the history of the Western Hemisphere. At the time of his arrival, Dr. del Carmen spoke very little English but he was quick to grasp the language and learn about the customs of his adoptive nation. After living in several U.S. cities, the del Carmen family moved to Miami, Florida where they resided for several years. It was in Miami that Dr. del Carmen attended high school and college. Upon completion of his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the Florida International University, he attended the Florida State University’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, where he earned a master’s and Ph.D. degrees.
Dr. del Carmen’s childhood experiences in large part, shaped his decision to become a criminologist. Having been exposed to the horrors of war and the dehumanizing experience of being an immigrant, he chose a profession that promotes an environment conducive to ideological tolerance and academic freedom. He firmly believes that the hope of humanity rests on the shoulders of those commissioned to shape the minds of future leaders.
Currently, Dr. del Carmen is an associate professor and chair of the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at the University of Texas at Arlington. Dr. del Carmen has trained all the chiefs of police in the state of Texas on matters relevant to racial profiling. He has authored numerous books and academic manuscripts published in internationally recognized scholarly journals.
Dr. del Carmen currently lives in Texas with his wife and two children. Aside from spending time with his family, Dr. del Carmen enjoys listening to the immortal sounds of Frank Sinatra.
