Alexandrea Ravenelle

Dr. Alexandrea Ravenelle is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Faculty Fellow with the Center for Urban and Regional Studies (CURS). Her research focuses on work, organizations, social stratification, and the gig economy. She holds a Russell Sage Foundation Visiting Scholar appointment (2023-24) and has received grants from the NSF and Kauffman Foundation.

Research Interests: Ravenelle examines precarious labor in the digital economy, including gig work dynamics, worker vulnerability, and the societal impacts of platforms like Uber and Airbnb. Her work bridges qualitative research methods with sociological theory to address economic inequality and labor market transformations. Recent projects include studying pandemic-era labor shifts and high-status gig worker experiences.

Grants & Awards:

• NSF RAPID Response Grant (Work in the Time of COVID-19)
• Russell Sage Foundation Future of Work Grant
• Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Knowledge Challenge Grant

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with CURS and interdisciplinary teams studying urban inequality and labor markets.