Ruth Thompson-Miller

Ruth Thompson-Miller is a Visiting Associate Professor of Sociology at Vassar College, affiliated with the Department of Sociology since 2021. Her research focuses on race and ethnicity, mental illness, and the elderly, with contributions to systemic racism, civil rights, and police violence. She holds a BA from the University of Florida and advanced degrees (MS and PhD) from Texas A&M University.

Her notable works include co-authored books such as Jim Crow’s Legacy: The Lasting Impact of Segregation, Systemic Racism: Making Liberty, Justice, and Democracy Real, Not Your Grandmother’s Movement: Civil Rights and Black Lives Matter, and Please Don’t Shoot: Children, Police Violence, and Trauma. She also contributed chapters to Counseling Psychology, Sociology of Racial and Ethnic Relations, and Violence Against Women.

Ruth has received the ASA-NIMH Minority Fellowship, recognizing her impactful research. She teaches courses like SOCI 285: Reality and Impact: Systemic Racism. She has engaged in community outreach, such as the Exploring College program, which addressed climate change and college preparation for high school students.