Eric Avila

Eric Avila is a professor affiliated with three departments at UCLA: History, Chicana/o Studies, and Urban Planning. His research and teaching focus on the history of Los Angeles and its rise as a global city over the span of two centuries. He also studies the history of American culture and the history of Hollywood in particular. Avila is the author of three books, several research articles, and a number of op-eds and short pieces written for public outlets like the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times. He was featured in the four-part CNN documentary The History of American Style and currently serves on the Changemakers Council for Gucci North America, helping to promote equity, diversity and inclusion in the U.S. fashion industry. He earned his PhD in history from UC Berkeley in 1997 and achieved tenure at UCLA in 2004.