Claudia Geist

Claudia Geist is a Professor of Sociology and Criminology and Gender Studies at the University of Utah, with an Adjunct Professor appointment in Obstetrics & Gynecology. She holds a PhD in Sociology from Indiana University (2008) and completed a postdoc at the Carolina Population Center, UNC Chapel Hill. Her research intersects gender, sexuality, family dynamics, and reproductive health, with a focus on discriminatory practices, mental health disparities, and policy-driven healthcare access.

Her work emphasizes

• gender expression and discrimination
• contraceptive use patterns
• family structures and socioemotional health
• global cultural influences on reproductive practices

Recent studies analyze intra-household labor, transgender youth care, and pandemic impacts on academic work culture.

Scientific awards include the Presidential Scholar Award (2021) and Family Section/William J Goode Book Award (2011). She co-leads the NSF ADVANCE IT grant, addressing systemic institutional change, and teaches courses like Reproductive Justice.