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From Migration to Mentorship: Dr. Maritsa Poros on Sociology, Teaching, and Advancing Equity

Dr. Maritsa Poros, Professor of Sociology at CCNY, brings a unique perspective to her work, blending personal experiences with an interdisciplinary approach to migration, urban sociology, and social networks. Born to Greek immigrant parents, Dr. Poros’s academic journey began with a pursuit of clinical psychology before a life-changing sociology class shifted her focus. Today, she stands as a mentor, researcher, and advocate for equity in higher education.

A Journey Shaped by Migration
Dr. Poros’s upbringing on the East Coast was deeply influenced by her parents’ immigration story. Her father and mother, mathematicians who came to the U.S. in the late 1950s, built careers in the aerospace industry while navigating life as non-native English speakers. “Growing up in the 1970s and 80s, I often felt out of place in schools and neighborhoods that lacked significant immigrant representation,” she recalls. This experience sparked a lifelong curiosity about people living on society’s margins.

Although she initially pursued a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Dr. Poros found the field lacking in its ability to address the intersection of social and economic environments with mental health. A sociology class at UC Berkeley introduced her to transformative ideas about politics, place, and culture. “I read Marx, learned about the military-industrial complex, and wrote a feminist linguistic analysis of war-making,” she says. That single class inspired her to pivot to a Ph.D. in Sociology, where she developed a passion for urban sociology and migration.

From Personal Connection to Scholarly Inquiry
Initially hesitant to study migration, Dr. Poros’s work evolved through her exploration of urban sociology. A pivotal course on globalization with Saskia Sassen at Columbia University introduced her to groundbreaking research on the global economy and its connection to immigrant labor. “It explained how immigrants, whether highly educated professionals or working-class laborers, are integral to global economic production,” she notes. This perspective resonated deeply, linking personal experiences to academic inquiry.

Her research today focuses on how social networks influence migration patterns, shaping decisions about where migrants settle, their careers, and their connections to home countries. She also co-teaches a course on the Science of Sex and Gender, drawing on biology, sociology, and humanities to challenge traditional constructs of sex and gender.

Advancing Equity Through Collaboration
In recent years, Dr. Poros has broadened her focus to include structural inequities in academia. As a co-PI on a three-year, $1 million NSF ADVANCE grant, she collaborates with faculty across STEM fields to foster the progression of women and BIPOC faculty. “CCNY’s diverse student body—predominantly immigrants, working-class individuals, and people of color—needs role models who reflect their experiences,” she emphasizes. The grant seeks to address barriers these faculty face, creating a more equitable and supportive academic environment.

What Makes the Colin Powell School Special
Dr. Poros highlights CCNY’s commitment to intellectual engagement and social justice. “The Powell School has a storied history where world events, ideas, and activism intersected,” she says. Today, this legacy continues through a community of faculty and staff dedicated to preparing students to critically engage with their social, political, and economic worlds.

For Dr. Poros, the Colin Powell School is not just a workplace; it’s a platform for meaningful change. “It’s about more than education—it’s about empowering students to create a better world.”