Alfredo Torres Jr. received his BA from The University of Texas at Austin with a double major in History and Political Science. He earned his MA in History from The University of Texas at San Antonio. Since 2022, Torres has taught at Austin Community College.  He also teaches Humanities at Palo Alto College and San Antonio College and History at Northeast Lakeview College and Northwest Vista College. When he is not teaching, he is writing op-ed publications on U.S. History and Mexican American culture for the San Antonio Express-News. He has also published short stories for the Community College Humanities Review and is currently researching the history of Latino eugenics for Oxford University Press.

Teaching Philosophy: 

As an instructor, I found it imperative to make all students feel welcome and engaged in the learning process, whether it is culturally, emotionally, or intellectually. It’s a delicate process to engage students intellectually in resource material that incorporates breaking down stereotypes and histories revealing pasts unknown.  These past five years as a Humanities instructor has shown me patience and understanding when teaching students. Teaching involves open discussion with a Socratic inquiry, an exchange of ideas, elucidating the darkness and confronting the unknown. Research and dialogue help students become more involved with individualized PowerPoint presentations of researched material.

Areas of interest:

Mexican American History

U.S. History

Literature

Humanities

Mythology

Composition Writing

Film

Courses taught at ACC

HUMA 1301: Prehistory to Renaissance

HUMA 1302: Renaissance to Present

At Alamo Colleges District

HUMA 1301: Introduction to Humanities I

HUMA 1302: Introduction to Humanities II

HIST 1301: United States History I

HIST 1302: United States History II

HIST 2327: Mexican American History I

HIST 2328: Mexican American History II