Miguel Montalva Barba is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at UMass Boston focusing on the sociology of race and racism. Formally he was an assistant professor and Latinx Student Success Faculty Fellow at the Center for Justice and Liberation at Salem State University. Miguel’s background as an undocumented and queer immigration rights activist informs his teaching, research, and engagement within and outside the academy. His work aims to rattle sociology's foundations from its white supremacist core to address social issues.
University of Massachusetts Boston
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Focusing on the sociology of race and racism.
Previous Appointment
Salem State University
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Salem, MA. Fall 2019-Summer 2023.
Visiting Faculty, Department of Sociology, Salem, MA. Spring 2017-Spring 2019.
Faculty in Residence, Fall 2019-2022.
Distinguished Teaching Award Nominee, Fall 2019.
Outstanding First Year Advocate Award Nominee, Fall 2019-2020.
Latinx Student Success Fellow at the Center for Justice and Liberation, Fall 2021-2025.
Latinx/Hispanic Living Learning Community, Fall 2021.
Queer Learning Community, Fall 2020, 2021, 2022.
Building Inclusive Academically-Engaged Communities for the College of Arts and Sciences.
Phi Sigma Iota Honorary Inductee-Outstanding promotion of foreign languages and cultures 03/2022
Becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution Core Working Group
Education
Ph.D., Sociology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA. 2019.
M.A., Sociology, California State University, Los Angeles, CA. 2011.
Dual B.A., Sociology and Music, California State University, Los Angeles, CA. 2007.
Research and Teaching Interests
Urban Studies, Critical Race Theory, Race and Racism, Latinx Sociology, Sociological Theory, Qualitative Methodologies, and Intersectionality.