Bernadette Ludwig

Bernadette Ludwig is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of Civic Engagement at Wagner College. Her work bridges academic research and community action, focusing on immigration, gender, race, and refugee resettlement policies. She actively mentors students, particularly those from historically excluded groups, and serves as a pro-bono country conditions expert for asylum claims.

• Education:
  • Ph.D., Sociology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York
  • International Summer School in Forced Migration, University of Oxford
  • M.A. and B.A., Cultural and Social Anthropology, University of Vienna

Research Interests center on the intersection of immigration, gender, and race, particularly analyzing how U.S. policies affect African refugee and immigrant communities. Her ethnographic work on the Liberian community in Staten Island informs a forthcoming book, Unwelcome Shores: Black Refugees in America (Rutgers University Press, 2025). She also explores community-engaged learning’s impact on student perspectives about social justice.

Recent Publications address voter education in classrooms, refugee health disparities, citizenship frameworks, and the sociocultural impacts of migration. Her scholarship appears in journals like Migration Studies and International Migration, as well as edited volumes on forced migration and educational equity.

Scientific Awards & Fellowships include:

• Mellon-funded Civic Engagement & Voting Rights Teacher Scholar (2023-24)
• Wagner College Faculty Awards for Excellence in Teaching (2021), Scholarship (2017), and Civic Engagement Recognition (2017)
• Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility Research Grant (2020-21)

Grants & Service include a 2024 Mellon-funded Back to School for Democracy Mini-Grant and leadership roles in Wagner’s Food Recovery Network and WagnerVotes initiatives. She co-founded Culture Connect, Inc. and serves as Vice Board Chair of Napela, Inc., supporting African families in Staten Island.