Dr. Rodrigo Serr茫o joined 快猫短视频鈥檚 Department of Sociology and Social Work in 2020. His research, which has been published in both Brazil and the U.S., focuses on race and ethnicity, religion, and immigration. His work has appeared in esteemed publications such as Review of Religious Research, Latin American Perspectives, International Journal of Latin American Religions, Sociology of Religion, and Religi茫o & Sociedade.

Currently, Dr. Serr茫o is engaged in a research project titled 鈥淏eyond Ethnicity: Perceptions of Racial Identity and Belonging Among Latinx Students.鈥� This project explores how Latinx students perceive their racial identity in relation to privilege, racism, colorism and their sense of belonging within the context of a historically white college. The study also examines how these perceptions may differ based on the students鈥� skin color and place of origin.

In addition to his research, Professor Serr茫o has taught a range of courses, including Introduction to Sociology, Social Theory, Race and Ethnicity, Power and Society, Sociology of Religion, Senior Seminar, and Contemporary Social Problems.

AREAS OF Expertise

• Sociology of race and ethnicity
• Sociology of religion
• Immigration
• Inequality
• Latin American / Latina/o sociology

EDUCATION

• Ph.D., sociology, University of South Florida, 2020
• Graduate certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, University of South Florida, 2016
• M.A., sociology, Universidade Federal da Paraiba, Brazil, 2014
• M.Div., theology, Baylor University, 2008
• B.A., biblical/theological studies, Baptist University of the Americas, 2005
• B.S., accountancy, Universidade Federal da Paraiba, Brazil, 2001

HONORS, GRANTS and AWARDS

• Frost Center Fellowship, 快猫短视频, 2023鈥�2024
• Cultural Champion Award, Center for Diversity and Inclusion, 快猫短视频, 2022
• Faculty Award, Latino Student Organization, 快猫短视频, 2022
• Winner, Graduate Paper Competition, Division on Racial and Ethnic Minorities of the Society for the Study of Social Problems, 2019
• Keith Roberts Teaching Innovations Award, SAGE Publishing, 2019
• Constant H. Jacquet Research Award, Title of the Grant Project, "Winning 'Americans' for Jesus?: Second-Generation, Racial Ideology, and the Future of the Brazilian Evangelical Church in the U.S," Religious Research Association, 2018

Selected Publications

• 鈥淎re Brazilians Latinx? Historical and Sociological Considerations,鈥� with Jo茫o Chaves, The Latinx Experience: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, ed. by M. J. Villase帽or and H. Jimenez, Sage, 2023
• 鈥淭ransmitting Racism Through Religion?: Ethnic Transcendence and Colorblind Racism in Latina/o Congregations,鈥� Perspectives in Religious Studies 49(4), 2022
• 鈥淓vangelicismo Imigrante na Pandemia: Posi莽玫es de Igrejas Evang茅licas nos Estados Unidos,鈥� with Jo茫o Chaves in Religi茫o em Tempos de COVID-19: V铆rus, Biopoder e Vida. EdUENF, 2022
• 鈥�Negotiating Belonging: Race, Class, and Religion in the Brazilian Quest for 鈥楤ecoming American,鈥欌赌� Sociology of Religion, 2022
• 鈥�Intergenerational transition in an Evangelical Church and a Spiritist Center in the United States: an initial analysis,鈥� [published in Portuguese] Religi茫o & Sociedade 41:195鈥�216, 2022
• "Racializing Region: Internal Colonialism, Social Media, and the Perpetuation of Stereotypes and Prejudice against Brazilian Nordestinos," Latin American Perspectives, 2020
• "Immigrant Evangelicalism in the COVID-19 Crisis: Reactions and Responses," with Jo茫o Chaves,  International Journal of Latin American Religions, 2020
• "The Social Functions and Dysfunctions of Brazilian Immigrant Congregations in 'Terra Incognita'," with James Cavendish, Review of Religious Research, 2018
• "From Brazil to the World: How Do Classic Weberian Concepts Help Understand the Successful Transnational Endeavors of Worldwide Church of God's Power?," with Fl谩via Pires (published in Portuguese), Ci锚ncias da Religi茫o 鈥� Hist贸ria e Sociedade, 2014
• "The Church as a Piece of Brazil: Transnational Religion in the Capital of Texas," with Fl谩via Pires (published in Portuguese), in Transnacionaliza莽茫o Religiosa: Religi玫es em Movimento, CirKula, 2014

Outside the College

Rodrigo Serrao is a native of Brazil, where he grew up surfing at the Brazilian northeastern coast's warm beaches. In West Michigan, he hasn't had a chance to surf at Lake Michigan yet, but he plans to do so. Although Dr. Serrao, his wife Adriana, and daughter Liz are from the tropics, they are excited about living in Holland. They love traveling, exploring, and also staying indoors, playing videogames and watching good movies.