Diego Taboada is a PhD student in sociology with a concentration in criminology. He is also pursuing a second MS degree in geography. Diego received his BA in sociology from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and his first MS degree in criminology and criminal justice from California State University, Long Beach.

Diego’s work is rooted in the carceral geographies and racial capitalism literature and centers around issues of race, place, the urban political economy, and policing. More specifically, he studies the relationship between order maintenance policing, stop question and frisk, and gentrification. His work sheds light on the varied ways in which police facilitate gentrification, a deeply bigoted and violent process intimately linked to the precarious and promiscuous nature of capital(ism). His dissertation work tentatively looks to theorize “collateral carcerality” as a form of structural violence.  

Diego has taught courses on criminology, criminal justice, and research methods. He is an avid sports fan who enjoys reading, writing, exercising, and spending time with his family.