Antonio De La Garza, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Communication & Media Studies

Director of the Special Major Bachelor’s of Arts

Phone: (760)750-8254

Office: SBSB 2116

Antonio Tomas De La Garza holds a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Utah. He also earned an M.A. in Communication, a Graduate Certificate in Ethnic Studies, and a B.A. in Political Science from Northern Arizona University. His courses include Argumentation, Rhetorical Criticism, Communication Theory and Communication and Social Protest.

Dr. De La Garza’s research examines how people use communication to navigate challenging social landscapes, negotiate belonging, and build resilient communities. His work blends theory, ethnography, and cultural analysis to explore the intersections of place, identity, and discourse. He has published on topics including well-being and stress in marginalized communities, adaptation and identity, and the cultural significance of borders.

At ��Ů, Dr. De La Garza has secured more than $150,000 in external grants to support community-based research and educational partnerships. His work has been recognized with the Northern Arizona University Distinguished Citizen Award and the Cougar Career Champion Award and is also a three-time winner of the Exception Service Award at ��Ů. His service as the ��Ů Long Range Academic Planning Fellow and two years as the CHABSS Dean’s Associate reflects his commitment to transformative leadership.

Beyond the university, Dr. De La Garza has collaborated with cultural and civic organizations on initiatives supporting youth, education, and the arts. He also developed a poetry and mentorship program for middle school students that paired them with undergraduate mentors.

Selected Publications

De La Garza, A. T. (2025). The Long Way Home: Necropolitics and the Arts of Survival in the Borderlands (Pending)
Orozco, Schultz, Spencer, & De La Garza (2024). “Parece Que Están Dándote Una Bienvenida.” International Journal of the Sociology of Leisure.
De La Garza, A. T. (2021). Decolonizing Merit: Strategies for Scholars of Color in Higher Education.
De La Garza, A. T. (2021). Bordering Spaces, Bordering Subjects: Place, Identity, and the Production of Bare Life.
De La Garza, A. T., DeChaine, D. R., & Ono, K. A. (2015). A Borderlands Topography: The State and Future of Rhetorical Border Studies. In A. Demo (Ed.), Rhetoric Across Borders.
De La Garza, A. T., & Ono, K. A. (2015). Retheorizing Adaptation: Differential Adaptation and Intercultural Communication. Journal of International and Intercultural Communication.
De La Garza, A. T. (2015). Somos Joaquín: Mindful Realism as an Intervention Against Racial Battle Fatigue. In Racial Battle Fatigue: Insights from the Front Lines of Social Justice Advocacy.

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