People
Staff
Elizabeth Aranda, Ph.D.
Director
Elizabeth Aranda, Ph.D. is a Professor of Sociology at the University of South Florida. A native of Puerto Rico, she has dedicated herself to documenting the lived experience of migration and to share (im)migrants’ stories through her research and teaching. She is author of Emotional Bridges to Puerto Rico and co-author of Making a Life in Multiethnic Miami. Her research has appeared in various journals such as Social Problems, and Gender & Society, among others.
melanie escue, ph.d.
Research Associate
Melanie Escue, Ph.D., is a research associate at the University of South Florida. Currently, her research focuses on the lived experiences and well-being of im/migrant populations in the United States. Leveraging both qualitative and quantitative methods, she draws attention to the pressing - and often unmet - emotional health needs of young adults without permanent legal status. In addition, her work explores the adaptation and well-being of Puerto Rican post-disaster migrants and return migrants.
Felix Sutphin
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Felix Sutphin Garcia is a senior undergraduate student at the University of South Florida, majoring in sociology with a concentration in social justice and inequality. He is currently engaged in an internship program in partnership with Nicer FL and the Im/migrant Well-Being Research Center that focuses on helping im/migrants with language acquisition. Felix is also actively involved in a project as an undergraduate research assistant, where he delves into the experiences of second-generation im/migrant young adults. His identity as a bilingual researcher and scholar is deeply rooted in his own background as a Latino second-generation immigrant, motivating his passion for understanding and advocating for the im/migrant community.
