Prevention Research Center

With great sadness, the staff at Prevention Research Center and PIRE honors the memory of our colleague, Dr. Victor Garcia, who passed away on December 6, 2024. Born and raised in Stockton, CA, he was the son of Josefina and Francisco Garcia and the oldest of six children. He attended Edison Senior High School, and – like those in many agricultural towns – he worked after school and in the summers harvesting, picking, and sorting tomatoes, cucumbers, and other crops. He also worked alongside his father at the bakery, where he learned quite a bit about baking. Motivated by a humanistic intellectual curiosity, he continued his studies at the University of California, Davis, where he decided to major in Latin American History. As a Latino, he always had an interest in that broad culture. At the urging of one of his advisors, he applied and was accepted into a master’s program in Latin American Studies at Stanford University, which allowed him to broaden his knowledge of Latin America. At Stanford, he was recruited by an anthropologist to the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he would receive his doctorate and, for the first time, bring theory and practice together. Most importantly, this is where he met his wife of 25 years, Laura Gonzalez.

Dr. Garcia served the field of applied and medical anthropology and the Latino community for over 30 years. As an ethnographic researcher, he not only advanced the field of anthropology and the transnational study of Latino immigrants and farmworkers, but he also engaged deeply in his research communities.  He was a Professor of Anthropology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) for 30 years, where he served as the Director of the Mid-Atlantic Research and Training Institute and the founder of the Caring about Latino Student Achievement Program (originally College Prep 101 for Latinos). He won five NIH research grants and published numerous peer-reviewed articles. His scholarly insights shed light on community-driven solutions to alcohol, opioid, and tobacco dependence, highlighting engaging personal histories of mutual support among Mexican migrants to overcome powerful addictions. Just as he earned the trust and friendship of the individuals he studied in numerous field sites, he also cultivated a sense of belonging and purpose for students and junior faculty through kind mentorship. As a result, he supported the recruitment, retention, and continued success of countless students and colleagues. He was also engaged as a researcher and educator at the Julian Samora Research Institute at Michigan State University, Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey, University of Texas at Dallas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Universidad Iberoamericana, Ford Foundation, Interdisciplinary Research Training Institute for Hispanic Drug Abuse at the University of Southern California, Thomas Jefferson University, National Institutes of Health, and the Prevention Research Center of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, which he formally rejoined as a Senior Research Scientist after his retirement from IUP.

Throughout his many accomplishments, Dr. Garcia demonstrated the importance of a strong connection and commitment to family, culture, and community. Amidst all these accomplishments and contributions, he was best known for his gracious humility, gentle humor, and care for so many others. He mentored and supported countless students in their efforts to succeed in college and placed many in graduate programs. He demonstrated, as well, the importance of a strong commitment to family, culture and community. He was a beloved and dedicated husband, son, brother, uncle, colleague and friend. His unselfish thoughtfulness was an example for all of us.

Victor Garcia was preceded in death by his father, Francisco Garcia, and niece, Santina Quintero. He is survived by his wife, Laura Gonzalez; mother, Josefina Garcia; siblings (Reina, Flavio, Julia, Linda and Francisco); many loved nieces and nephews;  and close friends who will miss him dearly and remember him fondly.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the “Dr. Victor Garcia Memorial Enhancement Fund” at IUP:  https://securelb.imodules.com/s/894/bp21/project.aspx?sid=894&gid=1&pgid=5527&cid=10919&dids=1230&bledit=1&sort=1&appealcode=4846/AFAFFINITYGarcia_Antrho%20Conference