Ronald Luna

Born in El Salvador, Ronald Luna immigrated to the United States in 1986 with his family and settled in Silver Spring, Maryland. Currently Dr. Luna is the Undergraduate Director at the Department of Geographical Sciences at University of Maryland College Park. He has been teaching at the University of Maryland since 2004. He teaches several classes at the Department of Geography including: Introduction to Geography, Developing Countries, Latin American Migration and Geography of Latin America. His research interests include Latin American migration, transnationalism, the creation of cultural spaces by immigrants, and Latino communities in the United States. Ronald is passionate about improving the social and academic lives of children and students through education. Dr. Luna has served as Geography Undergraduate Advisor since 2002 and was promoted to the Director of Undergraduate Studies in June 2009. In spring 2010, he was awarded the Outstanding Undergraduate Advisor Award for excellence in service to the College of Behavioral and Social Science and the Department of Geography. In Spring 2013, he received the Undergraduate Studies Teaching Award for excellence as teacher. In summer of 2015 he started an Academic Achievement Soccer Program at the University of Maryland to inspire, support, and provide minority students the necessary tools so they can graduate from the University. Our vision is to create, develop, nurture, and multiply L.E.A.D.E.R.S. We want our students to honor and live by the core values of our program: “LEADERSHIP, EXCELLENCE, ACHIEVEMENT, DISCIPLINE, EFFORT, RESPECT, and SERVICE.”