Michelle Vázquez Jacobus

Michele Vázquez Jacobus, JD, MSW, is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Sociology program at the University of Southern Maine. Her work bridges social work, law, and sociology to promote equity, inclusion, and community-engaged learning. She holds leadership roles in both the Sociology department and the Office of the Provost. Her research focuses on food access policy, public art’s societal impact, immigrant community assets, and climate change through cross-cultural collaboration.

Education:

• JD, Stanford Law School, 1990
• MSW, New York University, 1994
• BA in Psychology, Political Science, and Spanish, Duke University, 1986

Research Interests:

• Food access equity for marginalized groups
• Community-university partnerships
• Educational access for underserved populations
• Cross-cultural communication in climate action
• Social justice pedagogy

Her publications consistently emphasize community-driven solutions, from mapping food insecurity in Lewiston to analyzing service-learning’s impact on retention. Though no awards are listed, her scholarly contributions reflect sustained commitment to actionable research.

As department chair, she oversees curricular development and faculty mentoring. Her work integrates field-based learning with policy analysis, exemplified by collaborations like the Downtown Education Collaborative. She resides in Brunswick, ME, and pursues international culinary exploration as a hobby.