Dr. Pete A. Padilla was born in Denver, Colorado. He grew up in a single-parent household along with four other curious siblings. Dr. Padilla attended Colorado State University in 1979-1980, and Metro State College in 1980-1981 before he quit college and enlisted in  the military. Dr. Padilla served as a Combat Engineer with the U.S. Army Special Forces. He is also a graduate of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare School’s Officer’s Psychological Operations Course. After sustaining a spinal cord injury during a parachuting accident, he returned to college. Dr. Padilla graduated with a BA from the University of Northern Colorado in 1987, and with a MA in 1989. He then taught at Metro State College of Denver before leaving to pursue a PhD in Social Psychology from Arizona State University. Dr. Padilla taught at ASU as a lecturer from 1997-1999, and as an Assistant Professor from 1990-2005. He then moved back to Denver and taught at The University of Colorado-Denver from 2008-2013. Dr. Padilla lives in Arvada, Colorado.