Lisa Ratchford currently serves as the Interim Dean of the Social Sciences Division at Diablo Valley College, where she provides transformative and collaborative leadership to faculty, staff, and students in eleven disciplines, the Social Science Student Center, and the Children’s Center Lab School.
Lisa completed her undergraduate degree at UCLA and holds a Masters in Sociology from UC Berkeley. She will receive her Doctorate in Education with a specialization in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in May 2025.
With over 20 years of experience in higher education, Lisa has served as a tenured professor of Sociology, Academic Senate Vice President, Umoja Program Coordinator, and has led and collaborated on many equity and student success initiatives. During her time as the Coordinator of the Nexus Faculty Training Program at DVC, Lisa onboarded and trained over 60 first-year tenure-track faculty and was instrumental in leading the college’s work to develop an equity-focused curriculum for its faculty onboarding program. Lisa’s commitment to education and serving students also extends to the community, where she has served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster youth and as a mentor to African American girls who are aspiring leaders and educators.
Outside of her professional life, Lisa enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, listening to live jazz, and spending her downtime in the Napa Valley.