Dr. Mathew Sandoval

Dr. Mathew Sandoval is an award-winning professor at Arizona State University’s Barrett the Honors College, where he serves as the Dean’s Fellow for Access and Inclusive Excellence. He teaches courses on culture, performance, race, cinema, activism, and global humanities and leads educational travel programs to Spain, New York City, and Mexico.  He’s a former Fellow at ASU’s Social Transformation Lab and ASU’s Center for the Study of Race and Democracy. He holds a PhD in Culture and Performance from the University of California, Los Angeles; an MA in Individualized Study with a focus on Performance Studies from NYU; and a BA in English at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 

Sandoval’s research centers on cultural history and large-scale cultural performances (rituals, festivals, theatre, dance) from around the world. His current project focuses on the transnational holiday Día de los Muertos, including the ways Day of the Dead has circulated throughout Mexico and the United States via pop culture, mass media, tourism, cinema, art exhibitions, and commercial products throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. He also conducts ethnographic research on large-scale public celebrations of Day of the Dead in Mexico and the US to examine how the holiday has transformed from religious festival to multimedia spectacle.  Sandoval’s work has appeared in major news outlets, academic journals, edited volumes, comic books, television, radio, and websites. In addition to his teaching and scholarship, he has also maintained a 25-year career as a performing artist and storyteller touring throughout North America, South America, and Europe. 

Image Credit: Photo courtesy of Kelly Fox