Jessica Pfaffendorf

Jessica Pfaffendorf is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at North Carolina State University. Her research focuses on social inequalities, gender, and social psychology, with a particular emphasis on how cultural and structural factors perpetuate disparities. She holds a B.A. from Augsburg College (2011) and a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona (2019), where she was a McNair Scholar and first-generation college student.

Her work has been published in journals such as Social Psychology Quarterly and Gender & Society, and she has received recognition from the American Sociological Association’s sections on Social Psychology and Sex & Gender. Her teaching expertise includes qualitative and experimental methods, reflecting her commitment to rigorous empirical research.

Key research areas include the intersection of incarceration and labor dynamics, masculinity transformations, and the sociological implications of conservative religious beliefs. She has also explored racialized policies in welfare systems and substance abuse treatment disparities. Her interdisciplinary affiliations include the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program.

Awards and recognitions highlight her contributions to gender studies and social psychology. Her research often bridges macro-level structural analyses with micro-level psychosocial processes, offering a holistic view of inequality.