Rick Rodriguez is an expert in journalism, media ethics and investigative reporting. 

He teaches courses in Latino and transnational issues, providing students with a better understanding of immigration, health care, politics and cross-border conflict and cooperation. 

Rodriguez also teaches ethics courses, using journalism ethical perspectives to generate conversations about contemporary dilemmas surrounding the news media.

He is the former executive editor and senior vice president of The Sacramento Bee and joined the Cronkite School as the professor of the Southwest Borderlands Initiative.