UMass Boston

Danielle Morales, Assistant Professor, Sociology

Danielle Morales

Department:
Sociology
Title:
Assistant Professor
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Biography

Danielle Morales is a medical sociologist whose research explores how health and education function as intertwined systems of inequality. She investigates how food insecurity, disability, and environmental injustice shape children’s experiences in schools, and how care work—particularly faculty mentoring—operates within and against institutional constraints. Her current projects center disability justice amid climate crisis and reimagine mentoring as a radical act of care in an era of retrenchment in higher education.

Area of Expertise

Medical Sociology, Sociology of Education, Disabilities, Mentoring Relationship in Higher Education

Degrees

PhD, Texas A&M University

Professional Publications & Contributions

Morales, D. X. (2025). Mental health impact of natural disasters on people with disabilities: Insights from the 2024 Household Pulse Survey. Disability and Health Journal, 18(2), 101763.

Frederick, A., Monarrez, A., & Morales, D. X. (2025). Strategic familismo: How Hispanic/Latinx students negotiate family values and their STEM careers. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 38(2), 180–196.

Grineski, S. E., Avondet, C. L., Morales, D. X., Collins, T. W., Chavez, Y., & Armendariz, S. (2025). The gendered impact of depression on undergraduate students' research gains: Can more competent mentors help? CBE—Life Sciences Education, 24(1), ar7.

Chavez, Y., Grineski, S. E., Adkins, D., Avondet, C. L., Collins, T. W., & Morales, D. X. (2025). The impact of postgraduate mentors on undergraduate researcher gains. CBE—Life Sciences Education. (Accepted March 20, 2025)

Morales, D. X., Grineski, S. E., & Collins, T. W. (2024). Inadequate mentoring in undergraduate research experiences: Exploring protective factors. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1538(1), 129–143.

Morales, D. X., Grineski, S. E., & Collins, T. W. (2024). The silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic: Undergraduate research experiences, mentorship, and posttraumatic growth. Research in Higher Education, 65(3), 576–599.

Morales, D. X., & Paat, Y. F. (2024). Hesitancy or resistance? Differential changes in COVID-19 vaccination intention between Black and White Americans. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 11(1), 23–35.

Paat, Y. F., & Morales, D. X. (2024). Perceived discrimination and relative deprivation as predictors for age differences in loneliness. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 22(5), 623–644.

Grineski, S. E., Morales, D. X., Collins, T. W., Nadybal, S., & Trego, S. (2024). Anxiety and depression among US college students engaging in undergraduate research during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of American College Health, 72(1), 20–30.

Grineski, S. E., Morales, D. X., Collins, T. W., Chavez, Y., Avondet, C. L., & Pasillas, N. (2024). Mentorship, remote engagement, and COVID-19: Student wellbeing during summer 2022 research experiences for undergraduates (REUs). Journal of American College Health, 73(3), 1115–1127.

Frederick, A., Monarrez, A., & Morales, D. X. (2024). Care work, science brokering, and career motivations: How Hispanic/Latinx young adults in STEM express social agency during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 30(6), 109–128.

Avondet, C. L., Chavez, Y., Grineski, S. E., Morales, D. X., & Collins, T. W. (2024). Multiple mentors’ competency and undergraduate researchers’ science identity and self-efficacy. Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research Journal. (Accepted September 17, 2024)

Wagler, A., Monarrez, A. E., Echegoyen, E., Morales, D. X., Seira, D., & Ramirez, A. (2024). Factors and mediators impacting the number of undergraduate research mentees at a research-intensive Hispanic-serving institution. PLOS ONE, 19(10), e0289386.

Morales, D. X., Grineski, S. E., & Collins, T. W. (2023). Advancing understanding of discordant mentoring relationships in STEMM: A method and framework. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1526(1), 8–15.

Grineski, S. E., Morales, D. X., & Collins, T. W. (2023). Modifying summer undergraduate research programs during COVID-19 increased graduate school intentions but exacerbated anxieties. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 22(3), ar32.

Frederick, A., Monarrez, A., Morales, D. X., Daniels, H., Grineski, S. E., & Collins, T. W. (2023). “Your family is always with you”: Perceptions of parental relationships among Hispanic/Latinx young adults pursuing STEM careers. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 22(4), ar39.

Morales, D. X., Beltran, T. F., & Morales, S. A. (2022). Gender, socioeconomic status, and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the US: An intersectionality approach. Sociology of Health and Illness, 44(6), 953–971.

Morales, D. X., Grineski, S. E., & Collins, T. W. (2022). Undergraduate researchers’ graduate school intentions during COVID-19. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1508(1), 137–154.

Grineski, S. E., Morales, D. X., Collins, T. W., Nadybal, S., & Trego, S. (2022). A US national study of barriers to science training experienced by undergraduate students during COVID-19. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(11), 6534.

Monarrez, A., Wagler, A. E., Frederick, A., Morales, D. X., & Echegoyen, E. (2022). Hispanic/Latinx STEM majors applying to graduate school: The role of family, peers, and undergraduate research programs in facilitating community cultural wealth. Journal of Latinos and Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348431.2022.2122973

Morales, D. X. (2021). Immigrant children and school bullying: The “unrecognized” victim? International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 41(9/10), 1026–1037.

Morales, D. X., Grineski, S. E., & Collins, T. W. (2021). Effects of mentor-mentee discordance on Latinx undergraduates’ intent to pursue graduate school and research productivity. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1499(4), 54–69.

Morales, D. X., Morales, S. A., & Beltran, T. F. (2021). Racial/ethnic disparities in household food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic: A nationally representative study. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 8(5), 1300–1314.

Morales, D. X., Morales, S. A., & Beltran, T. F. (2021). Food insecurity in households with children amid the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from the Household Pulse Survey. Social Currents, 8(4), 314–325.

Morales, D. X., Grineski, S. E., & Collins, T. W. (2021). Effects of mentoring relationship heterogeneity on student outcomes in summer undergraduate research. Studies in Higher Education, 46(3), 423–436.

Morales, D. X., Grineski, S. E., & Collins, T. W. (2021). Racial/ethnic and gender inequalities in third grade children’s self-perceived STEM competencies. Educational Studies. Advance online publication.

Collins, T. W., Grineski, S. E., & Morales, D. X. (2021). We need environmental health justice research and action for LGBTQ+ people. American Journal of Public Health, 112(1), 54–56.

Frederick, A., Grineski, S. E., Daniels, H., Collins, T. W., & Morales, D. X. (2021). The emerging STEM paths and science identities of Hispanic/Latinx college students: Examining the impact of multiple undergraduate research experiences. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 20(2), ar18.

Morales, D. X. (2020). Partners’ educational pairings and fertility intentions in the US: Evidence from 2015–2017 National Survey of Family Growth. Social Currents, 7(4), 299–309.

Morales, D. X., Wagler, A. E., & Monarrez, A. (2020). BUILD peer mentor training model: Developing a structured peer-to-peer mentoring training for biomedical undergraduate researchers. Understanding Interventions, 11(1), 1–16.

Grineski, S. E., Morales, D. X., Collins, T. W., Wilkes, J., & Bonkowsky, J. L. (2020). Geographic and specialty access disparities in U.S. pediatric leukodystrophy diagnosis. The Journal of Pediatrics, 220(5), 193–199.

Grineski, S. E., Morales, D. X., Collins, T. W., Wilkes, J., & Bonkowsky, J. L. (2020). Racial/ethnic and insurance status disparities in distance traveled to access children’s hospital care for severe illness: The case of children with leukodystrophies. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 7(2), 975–986.

Monarrez, A., Morales, D. X., Echegoyen, E., Seira, D., & Wagler, A. E. (2020). The moderating effect of faculty mentorship on undergraduate students' summer research outcomes. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 19(4), ar56.

Paat, Y. F., Torres, L., Morales, D. X., Srinivasan, S., & Sanchez, S. (2020). Sensation-seeking and impulsivity as predictors of high-risk sexual behaviors among international travelers. Current Issues in Tourism, 23(21), 2716–2732.

Garcia, M., Grineski, S. E., Morales, D. X., & Corral, G. (2020). Academic performance of young Latino students at a Hispanic-serving institution. Journal of Latinos and Education. Advance online publication.

Monarrez, A., Wagler, A. E., Morales, D. X., Seira, D., Echegoyen, E., & Ramirez, A. (2020). Mentoring undergraduate students in research: Faculty barriers and benefits. Chronicle of Mentoring and Coaching, 1(13), 418–425.

Rubio, R., Grineski, S. E., Collins, T. W., & Morales, D. X. (2020). Ancestry-based intracategorical injustices in carcinogenic air pollution exposures in the United States. Society & Natural Resources, 33(8), 987–1005.

Norris, K. C., … Morales, D. X., … Seeman, T. (2020). Baseline characteristics of the 2015–2019 first-year student cohorts of the NIH Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) program. Ethnicity & Disease, 30(4), 681–692.

Morales, D. X. (2019). Geographic inequality and ethnic stratification in China, 2000 to 2010. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 39(7/8), 535–549.

Morales, D. X., Grineski, S. E., & Collins, T. W. (2019). School bullying, body size, and gender: An intersectionality approach to understanding US children’s bullying victimization. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 40(8), 1121–1137.

Morales, D. X., Prieto, N., Grineski, S. E., & Collins, T. W. (2019). Race/ethnicity, obesity, and the risk of being verbally bullied: A national multilevel study. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 6(2), 245–253.

Morales, D. X., Grineski, S. E., Collins, T. W., Fuentes, A., & Hernandez, E. (2019). The burden of carcinogenic air toxics among Asian Americans in four US metro areas. Population and Environment, 40(3), 257–282.

Rubio, R., Grineski, S. E., Morales, D. X., & Collins, T. W. (2019). The role of parents’ nativity in shaping differential risks of food insecurity among US first graders. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 23(7), 910–918.

Morales, D. X. (2018). Residential segregation of same-sex partnered households in metropolitan America: New evidence from US Census 2010. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 38(11/12), 973–981.

Morales, D. X., Grineski, S. E., & Collins, T. W. (2018). Effects of gender concordance in mentoring relationships on summer research experience outcomes for undergraduate students. Science Education, 102(5), 1029–1050.

Grineski, S. E., Morales, D. X., Collins, T. W., & Rubio, R. (2018). Transitional dynamics and depth of household food insecurity impact children's developmental outcomes. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 39(9), 715–725.

Grineski, S. E., Daniels, H., Collins, T. W., Morales, D. X., & Frederick, A. (2018). The conundrum of social class in undergraduate research programs focused on promoting underrepresented students in STEM. Science Education, 102(2), 283–303.

Morales, D. X., Grineski, S. E., & Collins, T. W. (2017). Increasing research productivity in undergraduate research experiences: Exploring predictors of collaborative faculty-student publications. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 16(3), ar42.

Morales, D. X., Grineski, S. E., & Collins, T. W. (2017). Faculty motivation to mentor students through undergraduate research programs: A study of enabling and constraining factors. Research in Higher Education, 58(5), 520–544.

Collins, T. W., Grineski, S. E., & Morales, D. X. (2017). Environmental injustice and sexual minority health disparities: A national study of inequitable health risks from air pollution among same-sex partners. Social Science & Medicine, 191, 38–47.

Grineski, S. E., Collins, T. W., & Morales, D. X. (2017). Asian Americans and disproportionate exposure to carcinogenic hazardous air pollutants: A national study. Social Science & Medicine, 185, 71–80.

Collins, T. W., Grineski, S. E., & Morales, D. X. (2017). Sexual orientation, gender, and environmental injustice: Unequal carcinogenic air pollution risks in Greater Houston. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 107(1), 72–92.

Collins, T. W., Grineski, S. E., Shenberger, J., Morales, D. X., Morera, O., & Echegoyen, L. (2017). Undergraduate research participation is associated with improved student outcomes at a Hispanic-serving institution. Journal of College Student Development, 58(4), 583–600.

Morales, D. X., Grineski, S. E., & Collins, T. W. (2016). Influences on faculty willingness to mentor undergraduate students from another university as part of an interinstitutional research training program. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 15(3), ar35.

Daniels, H., Grineski, S. E., Collins, T. W., Morales, D. X., Morera, O., & Echegoyen, L. (2016). Factors influencing student gains from undergraduate research experiences at a Hispanic-serving institution. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 15(3), ar30.

Leibold, J., & Morales, D. X. (2016). Segregated diversity: Uyghur residential patterns in Xinjiang, China. In A. Hayes & M. Clarke (Eds.), Inside Xinjiang: Space, place and power in China’s Muslim far northwest. London, UK: Routledge.

Poston, D. L., Chang, Y., Morales, D. X., & Venegas, M. (2014). The demography of China’s minority nationalities. In R. Saenz, N. Rodriguez, & D. G. Embrick (Eds.), International handbook of the demography of race and ethnicity. New York, NY: Springer.

Poston, D. L., Davis, M. A., & Morales, D. X. (2012). Demographic structure and process in rural China. In L. J. Kulcsár & K. J. Curtis (Eds.), International handbook of rural demography. New York, NY: Springer.