April 2025: Dr. Pamela Zabala Ortiz (CAS/Sociology)
Dr. Pamela Zabala Ortiz is an Assistant Professor in Sociology. She earned her PhD and MA in Sociology from Duke University, and a BA in Sociology and Africana Studies from Bowdoin College, where she was an MMUF fellow ‘16 and an IRT fellow. Prof. Zabala Ortiz is a sociologist of race and ethnicity with a focus on race and racism in transnational contexts. Her work thinks about migration and about racism and racial stratification in the U.S. and Latin America. Her current research touches on transnational constructions of Blackness and the ways in which Afro-Latines navigate competing definitions of Black identity in the U.S. She is also pursuing a Certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Her work has been supported by the Russell Sage Foundation and the Social Science Research Council. I am also an alumna of the Mark Claster Mamolen Dissertation Workshop at the Afro-Latin American Research Institute at Harvard University.
What made you decide to be a social scientist/ why does social science matter to you?
I decided to become a social scientist when I realized that fields like Sociology were attempting to answer the exact questions I had about the world around me, especially when it came to topics around race, identity, and belonging. Once I had an opportunity to do independent research, I was hooked, and since then, social science has been a way for me to make sense of the social dynamics and broader relations that shape society.
Can you tell us about a recent research project that you’re excited about?
I am excited about my book project, which examines social, historical, and political constructions of Blackness in the U.S. and whether and how Afro-Latinx individuals fit into those constructions. I’m excited about this work because it taps into a lot of ongoing conversations about Black immigrants and the contraction and expansion of Black identity in this moment.
What is the best piece of professional advice you ever received?
The best piece of professional advice I’ve ever received is “Don’t be your first ‘no.’” In other words, don’t count yourself out before you’ve given yourself the opportunity to try.
What is your favorite course you’ve taught at BU?
My favorite course I’ve taught at BU has been SO/AFAM 408/808 in the Fall 2024 semester. It was my first class at BU, and I could not have asked for a more engaged and curious group of students who challenged each other and engaged in impressive discussions every week.
Tell us a surprising fact about yourself.
I play the flute!