Elizabeth Aranda

Elizabeth Aranda is a Professor of Sociology and Director of the Im/migrant Well-Being Research Center at the University of South Florida (USF), within the College of Arts and Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Temple University (2001) and has held academic roles at USF since 2007, previously serving as Associate Professor (2007–2015) and Assistant Professor at the University of Miami (2002–2007). Her research focuses on migrant well-being, racial/ethnic inequalities, legal status challenges, and post-disaster migration, particularly among Puerto Ricans and undocumented youth.

Aranda’s work bridges academia and public policy, with over $10 million in external grants from NSF, Russell Sage Foundation, and others. Notable projects include studies on DACA rescission impacts, climate migration, and immigrant legal frameworks. She has authored two books and over 50 peer-reviewed articles in journals like Social Forces and Sociology of Race and Ethnicity.

Her awards include the ASA International Migration Section Award (2024) and USF Outstanding Research Award (2018). Aranda advises numerous doctoral students and chairs dissertation committees, emphasizing community engagement. She leads initiatives like the Im/migrant Well-Being Collaborative and serves on editorial boards, including Centro Journal.

Labs/Teams: Director of the Im/migrant Well-Being Research Center, co-founder of the Im/migrant Well-Being Scholar Collaborative.