People
Staff
Elizabeth Aranda, Ph.D.
Director
Elizabeth Aranda, Ph.D. is a Professor of Sociology at the University of South Florida. A native of Puerto Rico, she has dedicated herself to documenting the lived experience of migration and to share (im)migrants’ stories through her research and teaching. She is author of Emotional Bridges to Puerto Rico and co-author of Making a Life in Multiethnic Miami. Her research has appeared in various journals such as Social Problems, and Gender & Society, among others.
Liz ventura, mph, CPH
Research Associate
Liz Ventura is a dynamic public health professional whose career is underpinned by a rich blend of medical, anthropological, and epidemiological knowledge. As a bilingual immigrant with roots in Cuba, Liz brings a unique perspective to her work in public health, shaped by diverse cultural and educational experiences. At the University of South Florida, Liz pursued a bachelor's degree in Anthropology. She then furthered her education by obtaining a master's in Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology at the same institution. Her commitment to public health is further evidenced by her certifications in Applied Biostatistics and Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases, equipping her with the skills to analyze complex health data effectively. Her professional journey is marked by experience in grant writing and research, particularly in projects aimed at enhancing community health. Liz's work has often intersected with immigrant populations, where she has applied her skills in program development, data analysis, and bilingual communication to effectively serve these communities. Committed to addressing health disparities and promoting equitable health outcomes, Liz's work embodies her belief in the power of public health to create positive change, especially for marginalized and immigrant populations.
Emely Matos Pichardo, ma, pH.D. STUDENT
Research Assistant
Emely is a dedicated Ph.D. student in the Department of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Studies. She is passionate about unraveling the complexities of social inequality and healthcare. Her commitment to reflexive and actionable research stems from her hope that her work will contribute to the broader field of medical sociology by shedding further light on the complex interplay between social inequalities and healthcare outcomes, and by advancing evidence-based strategies for promoting reproductive justice and health equity.
Deborah Omontese, MA, MSc
Research Assistant
Deborah Omontese is a Ph.D. student in Sociology at the University of South Florida. Her research interests are in Medical Sociology, Migration, and Gender. She focuses on healthcare disparities and their effects on immigrant women in the United States. Deborah earned a master’s degree in Women and Gender Studies from the University of South Florida, where she also served as the Graduate Student Representative. Additionally, she holds a master’s degree in Sociology from the University of Port-Harcourt, Nigeria, and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Bayero University, Nigeria. Beyond academia, Deborah has over a decade of experience working with Organizations in Africa, where she has been key in organizing free healthcare initiatives for marginalized women, welfare programs for indigent children and several campaigns in promoting girl-child education. Since 2021, she has also been a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of South Florida, successfully leading several undergraduate courses.
Viktoryia Sliaptsova, M.A., Expert in Cross-Cultural Communication and Cultural Studies
Research Assistant
Viktoryia is a Ph.D student and Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of Sociology & Interdisciplinary Social Sciences at USF. Her research pursuits were shaped by previous intercultural professional experience in international journalism. She has lived in Beijing and worked in mainstream Chinese media outlets as an editor, reporter, and TV host for almost a decade. In addition to China, Viktoryia has worked and studied in Belarus, Russia, Lithuania, India, and Nepal. As for academic background, Viktoryia completed her BA in Information and Communication at Belarusian State University (Minsk, Belarus) and an MA in Sociology at European Humanities University (Vilnius, Lithuania), where she focused on qualitative methods in cultural research. She also received a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Psychology from the Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis (Moscow, Russia). This knowledge has provided a good basis to further develop her Chinese traditional medicine practices and yoga therapist skills. It also opened an additional area of her research interests — mental health in a cross-cultural context. Since May 2024, Viktoryia has been working under the guidance of Dr. Elizabeth Aranda at the Im/migrant Well-Being Research Center on a research project titled "New "Americans" in Florida: Culture Shock, Emotions, and Identity Dilemmas of Newcomer Immigrants and Refugees from Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia." Additionally, she continues her work on the impact of prolonged facework and emotional labor, an area she extensively explored in her master's research project titled "Saving Face in China: Divergence of Emotional Cultures in Professional Communication between Local and Foreign TV Journalists."
Felix Sutphin, B.A.
Research Assistant
Felix Sutphin Garcia is a graduate of the University of South Florida, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with a specialization in social justice and inequality. While a student at USF, Felix was deeply engaged in academic and extracurricular activities focused on promoting equity and empowerment for underrepresented groups. Through a prior internship, he collaborated with NicerFL and the Im/migrant Well-Being Research Center, focusing on facilitating language acquisition for im/migrant populations. Additionally, he served as an undergraduate research assistant, contributing to a project exploring the experiences of second-generation im/migrant young adults, and he remains part of this project post-graduation. Drawing from his background as a second-generation Latino immigrant, Felix's scholarly pursuits are driven by a commitment to understanding and advocating for im/migrant communities. With a passion for social justice, he aspires to attend law school to further his advocacy efforts and continue championing the rights of marginalized groups.
