Martinez-Cola, Marisela

Dr. Martinez-Cola is a proud Chicana, daughter of an immigrant, and first-generation scholar. She was born and raised in Battle Creek, Michigan. She attended The University of Michigan where she earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and African American studies. She went on to earn her law degree at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. 

While she loved the study of law, the practice of law left her feeling flat. After only a year in law, she switched career paths and served as director of multicultural affairs at a variety of institutions around the country, including Davenport University, George Washington University, and
University of Georgia. After nearly 10 years in student affairs, she wanted to transition to academic affairs. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in sociology at Emory University. Following her graduation, she accepted a position with Utah State University and worked there for three years before coming to Morehouse College.

Dr. Martinez-Cola has been published in the Journal of Law and Society, the Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, Teaching Sociology, and Latino Studies. She has also published a book, The Bricks before Brown, where she identifies over 100 cases filed before the famed Brown v. Board of Education and specifically examines the contributions of Chinese Americans, Native Americans, Americans, and Mexican Americans to the struggle for educational equality.