Dr. Jonathan Montalvo Joins TU’s Center for Student Diversity

By: Litzzy Romero in Sept 2025

Word Count: 508

Estimated Read Time: 3-4 minutes

Meet Dr. Jonathan Montalvo, Towson University’s new Coordinator for the Center for Student Diversity (CSD) 

Photo Credit: Alexander Wright/Towson University

Towson University’s Center for Student Diversity (CSD) was founded shortly after desegregation to support Black students and has since expanded to serve multiple underserved groups, including the 11% of TU students who identify as Latine. Though small, this demographic can still turn to the Coordinators of the CSD for support today.

In June 2025, Dr. Jonathan Montalvo Roman (JON-uh-thun MON-tal-voh roh-MAHN) joined the team, specifically to support the Latine Community.

Over 20 years ago, teenage Montalvo immigrated to the U.S., adapting to the culture, language, and school system then later, receiving his PhD. He proudly embraces his Latino identity, along with being a member of the LGBTQ+ community and a first generation high school and college graduate.

Carrying multiple identities across different cultural values and within those cultures’ personal, religious, and professional spaces is a challenge Montalvo knows firsthandedly. Students facing this often find great comfort in guidance and relatable mentors. 

Previously, Dr. Montalvo served as the Hispanic Achievement Liaison at Reservoir High School, where he developed a passion for supporting Latine students and families through the education system. When he discovered this role, he said “ It is the perfect combination of what I was already doing that I really loved, but also going back to my roots of higher education.”

As a coordinator, Montalvo leads initiatives that connect students to campus resources, plan cultural celebrations, and educate the wider TU community. This supports the personal and academic well-being of TU’s Latine students. “That's my main goal or my main role here at Towson,” he said.

In his first semester, Montalvo hosted the Latin Leadership Retreat, where Latine student leaders reflected on identities, shared experiences, and engaged in productive conversations. He also organized TU Convivio, a welcome-back social gathering. 

Next on his agenda is Narrating Our Historias, an event where students, staff, and faculty will discuss what it means to be Latine at TU. 

“Hopefully, we will start having these conversations about what are some of the things that are going well for Latine students here? What are some of the struggles that we're facing? How we can address them and how we can celebrate one another, too, because we cannot forget about joy,” Montalvo said. The event will also feature an educational Latin music performance to add a social component. 

Reflecting on today’s political climate, Montalvo added “Now, more than ever, we need to create spaces where we can come together as a community—not just to celebrate our culture, but also to learn about each other.”

“I look forward to connecting with the students and getting to know them, as human beings[—]not just like a student that I'm providing a service for, but rather like someone that can see me as a role model or from whom I can also learn.”

Through these efforts, Dr. Montalvo hopes to shape students as not just “individuals, but also as professionals,” while continuing the CSD’s mission to support underserved communities. Towson University is excited to welcome him to this role, vision for fostering connection, and his impact on campus.