Vanguard University

Rodolfo Galvan Estrada III is the Miranda Center Assistant Professor of New Testament. His friends call him Rudy and he has been working full-time at Vanguard for the past year. He is a third-generation Mexican-American and grew up with his grandma in San Diego. When he was not in school, he enjoyed wrestling and jiu-jitsu.

"In 1995, I remember going to a church service giving my life to the Lord. My family has my grandma to thank for being the first to have a relationship with God. I have been committed to learning and serving ever since."

Estrada pursued an undergraduate degree at LABI College for a couple of years before transferring to Vanguard. There, he met his now-wife named Jessica. After graduating with a degree in Theology, he completed two masters degrees at Duke University, North Carolina.

"It was an eye-opening experience for me going to Duke as a Mexican-American. There, I was able to embrace the Latino theological narrative on the Bible which is different than my European counterparts' perspective on the Bible."

After Duke, Estrada completed his PhD at Regent University. His main area of research is the Gospel of John, the letter of Jude, race and ethnicity in ancient Greece and Rome. He has worked in institutional research and accreditation for over 15 years. 

"I'm excited to be serving in the Jesse Miranda Center. I think there is so much diversity within the Latino narrative that we can all identify with. It's a great opportunity to teach and mentor students who can be the next academics who publish or research fields where questions need answers."