Amy E. Stich

Amy E. Stich is an Associate Professor of Higher Education and Director of Graduate Studies at the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia. She also serves as an affiliate faculty member with the Interdisciplinary Qualitative Studies program and as a Research Fellow at the Georgia Policy Labs. Dr. Stich employs sociological perspectives and qualitative methodologies to investigate mechanisms that stratify and reproduce inequality in higher education.

Her research interests include:

• Sociology of education
• Qualitative research methodologies
• Social theory applications
• Higher education inequality
• Educational stratification systems
• Postsecondary tracking mechanisms
• Class dynamics in educational settings

Dr. Stich's scholarly work reveals consistent themes around how social structures and institutional practices create and maintain educational inequalities. Her publications demonstrate sophisticated applications of Bourdieusian theory to analyze educational tracking, social reproduction, and efforts to democratize access to higher education. Recent work examines democratic research practices, school counseling responses to dual enrollment policies, and the relationship between middle-class aspirations and higher education pathways.

Her significant research contributions have been recognized through:

• 2016 National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship
• Exemplary Reviewer Recognition by the Journal of Higher Education (2025)

Dr. Stich serves on the editorial boards of the British Journal of the Sociology of Education, The Journal of Higher Education, and The Review of Higher Education. As Director of Graduate Studies, she plays a pivotal role in mentoring graduate students and shaping academic programs. She teaches advanced courses in qualitative research and social theory (EDHI 8990, EDHI 8930, EDHI 9060) that emphasize critical analysis of educational inequality. Current research includes a William T. Grant Foundation-funded project examining postsecondary debt repayment inequalities and an NSF-funded study on geographic influences on experiential learning opportunities.