Sarah Mellors Rodriguez

Sarah Mellors Rodriguez is an Associate Professor of East Asian History at Emory University, specializing in modern China with a focus on gender/sexuality, aging, and medicine. Previously, she held the same rank at Missouri State University. She earned her MA and PhD in Modern Chinese History from the University of California, Irvine (2018). Her work integrates archival research and oral histories to explore population policies and healthcare access in China. Rodriguez teaches courses on modern China, gender studies, and eugenics.

Education:

• PhD in Modern Chinese History, University of California, Irvine (2018)
• MA in Modern Chinese History, University of California, Irvine (2018)

Research Interests:

• Reproductive health policy and grassroots implementation
• Age-related social welfare and healthcare inequities in Global China
• Sexuality and state propaganda in the Maoist era
• Transnational histories of medical technologies

Publications: Her award-winning book Reproductive Realities in Modern China (2023) examines population policies through 80+ interviews. Recent work includes studies on condom history, IUDs, and Mao-era hygiene guides.

Awards:

• 2022 Berkshire Conference Book Prize Honorable Mention

Current Project: Growing Old: A History of Aging in Global China investigates post-collective era welfare systems and healthcare access challenges for aging populations since 1949.

Teaching and Service: Courses include Modern China Histories, Gender & Sexuality, and Eugenics. Office hours: MW 2:30–3:30pm in Modern Languages Building 120.