Frederick Wherry

Frederick Wherry is the Townsend Martin, Class of 1917 Professor of Sociology at Princeton University and currently serves as Vice-Dean for Diversity and Inclusion in the Office of the Dean of Faculty. He is an affiliated faculty member in African-American Studies and leads the Debt Collection Lab and Dignity + Debt Network, focusing on economic justice issues. His research explores race, identity, citizenship, market dynamics, inequality, and debt, particularly examining systemic debt collection practices and their societal impacts.

Wherry has authored or edited nine books, including *Credit Where It’s Due: Rethinking Financial Citizenship* and *The Oxford Handbook of Consumption*. He co-edits the *Culture and Economic Life* series at Stanford University Press and has held leadership roles in professional associations like the Eastern Sociological Society and the Social Science History Association.

His work bridges sociological theory with practical advocacy, addressing themes such as financial citizenship, economic inequality, and the intersection of race and consumer markets. Ongoing projects include a book on mass debt’s societal consequences and collaborations on policy solutions for economic dignity.