ABOUT

Jacob Rivera is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Sociology at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU).  His work bridges the study of race, class, and vulnerability to climate change in Puerto Rico. His dissertation examines the often-invisible mechanisms through which race and class influence everyday life, drawing on ethnographic observations and qualitative interviews. Grounded in Puerto Rico—one of the most socioeconomically, politically, and environmentally vulnerable places in the Caribbean—his research brings forward underrepresented middle-class perspectives. His research contributes to broader conversations in race studies, middle-class scholarship, and environmental sociology. Rivera’s emerging work shows strong promise for advancing academic scholarship and policy initiatives. It has the potential to advance the public’s understanding of how racism persists in everyday life, the precarity facing Puerto Rico’s middle class, and environmental initiatives designed to sustain Puerto Rican society. While completing his doctorate at Case Western Reserve University, Rivera also serves as a Senior Research Assistant with Nurturing People. Power. Place. (NP3) at the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.

Education:

M.A., Case Western Reserve University
M.P.A, Cleveland State University
B.A., Cleveland State University 

Bio/ Research Interests:

Research interests include: Race and Class, Puerto Rico/Ruerto Ricans, Environmental Sociology, Research Methods

Primary Advisor:

Dr. Cassi Pittman Claytor

Email: jxr549@case.edu