Roberta Villalon

Roberta Villalón is a Professor and Chair of the Sociology and Anthropology Department at St. John's University, New York. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in political science and international relations with a focus on Latin America. Her work intersects transnational sociology, feminist theory, and social justice, emphasizing migration, health inequalities, and collective memory.

Key affiliations include the Committee in Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS), Women's and Gender Studies Program, and Global Development and Social Justice program. She actively contributes to organizations like LASA, ISA, and SWS. Current research focuses on transnational health inequalities among Ecuadoreans, supported by Fulbright and Catholic Relief Services grants.

Her research blends critical theory with activism, addressing topics like violence against immigrants, neoliberalism's impact on social movements, and memory politics in Argentina. Notable works include Violence Against Latina Immigrants (2010) and edited volumes on memory and justice in Latin America. Recent projects include a special issue on 21st-century activist research in the Americas.

Awards include the Fulbright Scholar distinction. Her grants include a Fulbright Foreign Scholar Grant (2016-2017) and a CRS Global Faculty Grant (2017-2018). She advocates for applied research addressing systemic inequalities through interdisciplinary and transnational frameworks.