Deni Mazrekaj

Dr. Deni Mazrekaj is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Utrecht University within the Department of Sociology, Social and Behavioural Sciences. He is also an affiliated researcher at the University of Oxford and KU Leuven. His academic journey began with a Ph.D. in economics from KU Leuven in 2019, followed by postdoctoral research in sociology and social demography at the University of Oxford.

Dr. Mazrekaj's research sits at the intersection of sociology of education and sociology of the family, with particular focus on how school and family environments shape children's developmental outcomes. His work on children with same-sex parents has received significant recognition, including awards from the American Sociological Association and the European Academy of Sociology. His research has been published in leading journals such as the American Sociological Review and Perspectives on Psychological Science, covering topics including household division of labor, school closures, and workplace inclusion.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on gender, family structures, and educational outcomes, with particular attention to LGBTQ+ families and parenting. His work often employs quantitative analysis of large datasets to explore complex social phenomena, with multiple publications examining same-sex parenting, mental health outcomes, and educational equity.

• Top Downloaded Articles of 2024 (Most and second most downloaded article in the 14 ASA journals)
• Senior Teacher of the Year Award (Utrecht University, 2024)
• Awards from American Sociological Association for research on children with same-sex parents
• Awards from European Academy of Sociology for research on children with same-sex parents

Dr. Mazrekaj currently supervises multiple Ph.D. students including Katia Aviles Quiroz (researching labor market outcomes of LGBT people with migration backgrounds), Emanuel Hentes (on effectiveness and efficiency of education), Lea Kröner (on economic resilience of women), and Silvia Palmaccio (on family compositions and children's outcomes). He has secured significant research funding including an Open Competition XS Grant from The Dutch Research Council (NWO) for his project 'Is Marriage a Turning Point in Criminal Behavior? A Comparison of People in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Relationships.'