Julissa Zelaya Barrera

Graduate Research Assistant

Sociology: Economic Sociology, Decolonial Sociology, Diaspora, Migration Experiences, Central America, Global South, and Gender.

Julissa Zelaya Barrera is a third-year PhD student in the Sociology program. She previously earned her bachelor’s in psychology and master’s in applied Sociology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Her masters work explored the experiences of Salvadoran women and mothers as they navigate life in the United States. Julissa’s current research picks up on similar themes investigating the lived experiences of Salvadoran diaspora and the socio-historical factors shaping their sense of belonging and identity.

She currently supports the Education & Health Hub and Movement Engaged Hub as a Graduate Research Assistant. She has also supported Sociology faculty directly as a part-time and summer Research Assistant. In her capacity as a Research Assistant, she has helped with data collection, data analysis, and project management. Under faculty guidance and alongside fellow PhD students and undergraduate students she actively supports projects exploring data center development, experiences of agricultural workers, and archival work. She previously served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Introduction to Communication (COMM 101) course at Mason.

Courses Taught

COMM 101

Education

A.A. in General Social Science - Montgomery College

B.A. in Psychology - University of Maryland, Baltimore County

M.A. in Applied Sociology - University of Maryland, Baltimore County