Randy Ontiveros

Randy Ontiveros is an Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Maryland, with affiliations in The Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, U.S. Latina/o Studies (American Studies), and the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Center. He serves as Director of Honors Humanities within the College of Arts and Humanities.

Ontiveros holds a Ph.D. in English Language and Literature from the University of California, Irvine (2006). His research focuses on Latinx literary and cultural studies, with expertise in Chicano Movement cultural politics, film studies, LGBTQ studies, and postmodern literature. He teaches courses on suburban narratives, civil rights movements, and comparative literature.

His major publications include In the Spirit of a New People (2013), analyzing Chicano Movement cultural production, and Crabgrass Frontera (forthcoming), exploring Latinx suburban experiences. His articles address media representation of social movements and digital-age Latino media.

Awarded the 2015 USM Board of Regents’ Teaching Award and 2016 Donna B. Hamilton Teaching Award, Ontiveros is recognized for innovative pedagogy in General Education. His service contributions earned the 2023 Faculty Service Award.