Meet Our Team

Rubén Martinez

Director

Dr. Rubén O. Martinez is professor of sociology and director of the Julian Samora Research Institute at Michigan State University.  His research interests include neoliberalism and Latinos, diversity leadership in higher education, institutional and societal change, education and ethno-racial minorities, youth development, Latino labor and entrepreneurship, and environmental justice. Dr. Martinez is the editor of the Latinos in the United States book series with the Michigan State University Press. He has numerous publications, including three co-authored books:  Chicanos in Higher Education (1993), Diversity Leadership in Higher Education (2007), and A Brief History of Cristo Rey Church in Lansing, MI (2012); one edited volume, Latinos in the Midwest (2011); and two co-edited volumes: Latino College Presidents: In Their Own Words (2013), and Occupational Health Disparities among Racial and Ethnic Minorities: Formulating Research Needs and Directions (2017).

E-mail: mart1097@msu.edu

Jean Kayitsinga

Sociologist Demographer

Dr. Jean Kayitsinga is a sociologist demographer for JSRI. He received his Ph.D. in sociology at Michigan State University in 1999. His areas of specialization include rural sociology, sociology of families, demography, research methods, and statistical methodologies.

E-mail: kayitsin@msu.edu

Juan David Coronado

Postdoctoral Scholar

Dr. Juan David Coronado is a postdoctoral scholar at the Julian Samora Research Institute at Michigan State University. A social historian, Coronado focuses on the contributions and experiences of Chicanos and Latinos in the U.S. His recent book, "I'm Not Gonna Die in this Damn Place”: Manliness, Identity, and Survival of the Mexican American Vietnam Prisoner of War (2018), lies at the intersection of Mexican American, military, oral and U.S. history while also furthering dialogue on gender. Along with Rubén Martinez, Coronado co-edited a Special Issue of Diálogo, “Latinas and Latinos in the Midwest: Historic and Contemporary Issues” (2018). Coronado co-facilitates JSRI’s Éxito Educativo, a pathway to college program for Latino high school students and their parents. He also serves as Co-President of the Southwest Oral History Association.

E-mail: corona20@msu.edu

Marcelo Siles

Research Specialist

Dr. Marcelo E. Siles is a Research Specialist at JSRI.  He has extensive experience working in higher education as an administrator and as a researcher.  His previous posts include serving as Executive Director of International Programs at Old Dominion University, Dean/Executive Director of International Programs at Northern Michigan University, and as Co-Director of the Social Capital Initiative at Michigan State University. He received his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State University.

E-mail: siles@msu.edu

Richard Cruz Davila

Research Specialist

Dr. Richard Cruz Davila joined JSRI as a researcher in August of 2017. He recently completed a PhD in Media Studies at the University of Western Ontario. His dissertation traces the history of Chicana/os and Latina/os in punk scenes in Los Angeles and Chicago. He is currently researching the evolution of Tex-Mex music in Michigan. He is a member of JSRI’s Black/Brown Dialogs task force, which seeks to achieve a more equitable and inclusive Michigan through sustainable intergroup collaborative relationships.

E-mail: davilari@msu.edu

Devin Mazur

Office Assistant

Devin Mazur is one of the office assistants to Dr. Ruben Martinez at the Julian Samora Research Institute. She coordinates Dr. Martinez's calendar, travel and arranges meetings. Her office responsibilities include maintaining accurate records, processing travel reimbursements, and also providing general leadership to student and on-call employees. She communicates with faculty, staff, prospective students, and external clients to provide requested information.

E-mail: mazurdev@msu.edu

Jocelyn Janicek

Office Assistant

Jocelyn Janicek has been with Michigan State University since August 2014, joining JSRI in August 2017 as one of the office assistants.  She is originally from Corunna, MI and currently resides in Perry, MI.  After graduating from Corunna High School in 2011, Jocelyn has been attending Lansing Community College working toward her Associate in Business Degree for Business Administration. Her office responsibilities include maintaining, monitoring, and reconciling bookkeeping records, calendar back up to the Director, and general office support.

E-mail: janicekj@msu.edu

Jessica Gonzalez

Clerical Assistant I

Jessica Gonzalez is a senior at MSU studying Social Relations and Policy. From a young age, her parents instilled in her to have a passion for education. This shaped her academic and professional trajectory in which she plans to return to her community in south Texas and serve as a leader in education. She believes education is fundamental for growth and development. Moreover, the future of the U.S. is tied to the demographic growth of Latinos, making it imperative to promote exceptional Latino leaders to help guide the country. She aspires to one day become a superintendent in the school district she attended growing up to empower students through education.

E-mail: gonza582@msu.edu

Nabih Haddad

Research Assistant III

Nabih Haddad is a Ph.D. candidate in the Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education (HALE) program in the College of Education at Michigan State University. His research interests include higher education policy, educational philanthropy, and student success and college completion for underserved and underrepresented communities. He has worked on projects which have examined the intersections of philanthropic foundations and non-profit organizations, the role of funders in academic labor markets, the relationship between intermediary entities and educational systems. His current work, empirically investigates the connection between philanthropic foundations and higher education, with an emphasis on the role of intermediary organizations in the college completion agenda.

E-mail: haddadn2@msu.edu

Barry Lewis

Research Assistant III

Barry Lewis is an incoming doctoral student in the School of Social Work at Michigan State University where his research will focus on at-risk boys who have been sexually traumatized, their mental health, and the relationship they share with the criminal justice system. While at JSRI, Barry has worked extensively at shedding light on the plight of H-2A and migrant farmworkers. He has actively presented his work in numerous conferences and venues. His work has been featured in the NEXO and Barry has a forthcoming publication with Dr. Ruben Martinez focusing on Latino males and the criminal justice system.

E-mail: lewisba1@msu.edu