Andy Clarno

Andy Clarno is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Black Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). He coordinates the Policing in Chicago Research Group (PCRG), an activist collective providing research support to social justice movements. His work focuses on racism, capitalism, colonialism, and policing in contexts of extreme inequality, with comparative studies in South Africa and Palestine/Israel.

Education: Ph.D. in Sociology (University of Michigan, 2009), M.A. Sociology (University of Michigan, 2004), B.A. Middle Eastern Studies (University of Texas, Austin, 1997). He also completed advanced Arabic studies in Damascus (2002).

Research Interests: Clarno examines neoliberal apartheid, racial capitalism, and carceral systems. His book Neoliberal Apartheid (2017) analyzes post-1994 dynamics in South Africa and Palestine/Israel, winning two American Sociological Association awards. Recent projects include Imperial Policing: Weaponized Data in Carceral Chicago (2024), exploring surveillance and data-sharing mechanisms between police and federal agencies.

Publications: Over 20 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on policing, decolonization, and urban inequality. Key works include analyses of gang databases, predictive policing algorithms, and transnational racial formations.

Awards: ASA Paul Sweezy Book Award (Marxist Sociology), ASA Immanuel Wallerstein Memorial Book Award (Political Economy of the World System).

Grants & Collaborations: PCRG has published reports on high-tech surveillance (Tracked and Targeted), immigration policing, and abolitionist strategies. Clarno collaborates with global scholars and grassroots organizations to bridge academic research and community action.

Labs/Teams: Leads the PCRG, a multidisciplinary team producing actionable research for transformative justice movements. The group emphasizes participatory research and policy advocacy.