Espinosa honored by Victoria Foundation

Emmy-winning ASU professor Paul Espinosa is the recipient of The Victoria Foundation's Professor Alberto Rios: Outstanding Literary/Arts Award.

“I am honored to receive this recognition from the Victoria Foundation for my work as a filmmaker and storyteller,” Espinosa said. “I thank the Foundation for acknowledging the critical role that arts and culture play in inspiring students to pursue higher education and improve our community.”

Espinosa received this esteemed acknowledgment during the third annual Arizona Higher Education Awards ceremony that took place Sept. 5 at the Ritz-Carlton Phoenix. The award is named after ASU’s own professor and Arizona Poet Laureate Alberto “Tito” Rios, and was established to recognize Latino/as who have contributed significantly to the understanding of the Hispanic community and/or culture through literary works, publications, films, books and other print venues.

The Victoria Foundation was established in 2008 with the support of a Community Development Corporation. It is their mission to be regarded as a means for change in the Latino community through engaging Latino/as and others in increasing the resources that will bring significant, positive differences to neighborhoods and families in Arizona.

Richard L. Boals, president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield Arizona – a sponsor of the Victoria Foundation – said, “Through the work of the Victoria Foundation and the dedication of these honorees, vital support is being provided to Arizona’s youth in the Latino community. … With education comes empowerment and opportunity.”

Before joining ASU, Espinosa worked as a producer of films and documentaries for PBS for more than 30 years. He oversees his own production company, Espinosa Productions, which is a film and video company that specializes in documentary and dramatic films focused on the U.S.-Mexico border region.

Espinosa’s programs have garnered several awards, including eight Emmys; five CINE Golden Eagle awards; a Golden Mike Award; and two Blue Ribbons and one Red Ribbon from the American Film Festival. He has been honored with retrospective Paul Espinosa Festivals in Phoenix; Albuquerque, N.M., El Paso, Texas; and San Diego.

Espinosa received his doctorate in anthropology from Stanford University, where he specialized in the cultural analysis of television communication, and his bachelor’s degree from Brown University, also in anthropology. Espinosa has been with ASU since 2004 and currently serves as a professor in the School of Transborder Studies.

More information on the Victoria Foundation.