Miguel Centellas
Instructional Associate Professor of Sociology and Sociology Undergraduate Program Coordinator
Dr. Miguel Centellas is an Instructional Associate Professor of Sociology and Undergraduate Coordinator for Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Mississippi. He is also affiliated with the Latin American and Caribbean Studies minor.
Research Interests
Dr. Centellas was originally trained in political science, with a joint focus on comparative politics and democratic theory. He is interested in how democracy is socially constructed and shaped by formal institutions, civil society, and socio-cultural dynamics. Much of his research in this area focused on Bolivia. He is also interested in pedagogy and the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL).
Biography
Dr. Centellas was born in Bolivia, but grew up in Michigan, where he completed his education. Before moving to Mississippi, he taught at Dickison College (Carlisle, PA) and Mount St. Mary’s University (Emmitsburg, MD). He moved to Oxford, Mississippi, to join his wife at the Croft Institute for International Studies in 2009. He left for a position at Jackson State University but later returned to Oxford and joined the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
Selected Publications
Centellas, Miguel. 2025. Sociology: You Are Here. Asheville, NC: Soomo Learning
Centellas, Miguel. 2022. “Bolivia: Between Reform and Revolution.” In Harvey F. Kline and Christine J. Wade (eds.), Latin American Politics and Development, 10th ed. London: Routledge.
Centellas, Miguel and Cy Rosenblatt. 2018. “Do Introductory Political Science Courses Contribute to a Racial ‘Political Efficacy Gap’? Findings from a Panel Survey of a Flagship University.” PS: Political Science & Politics 51 (3): 641-647.
Ristei Gugiu, Mihaiela and Miguel Centellas. 2017. “The Democracy Cluster Classification Index.” Political Analysis 21 (3): 334-349.
Centellas, Miguel and Gregory J. Love. 2012. “We’re Off to Replace the Wizard: Lessons from a Collaborative Group Project Assignment.” PS: Political Science & Politics 45 (3): 506-512.
Centellas, Miguel. 2010. “Pop Culture in the Classroom: American Idol, Karl Marx, and Alexis de Tocqueville.” PS: Political Science & Politics 43 (3): 561-565.
Courses Taught
- SOC 101 Introductory Sociology
- SOC 306 Sociology of Democracy
- SOC 366 Political Sociology
- SOC 501 Statistics
- SOC 635 Teaching Sociology
Education
B.A. Political Science, Central Michigan University (1997)
M.A. Political Science, Western Michigan University (1999)
Ph.D. Political Science, Western Michigan University (2007)