معرفی
Estela B. Diaz is a Presidential Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Sociology and Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Education Research Section (ERS) at Princeton University. She specializes in examining social inequalities through qualitative methodologies including ethnographic fieldwork and interviews.
Education:
- Ph.D. in Sociology, Columbia University, 2023
- M.Phil. in Sociology, Columbia University, 2020
- M.A. in Sociology, Columbia University, 2018
- A.B. in Sociology, Princeton University, 2014 (with certificate in Gender and Sexuality Studies)
Her primary research investigates the commodification of child rearing through private nursery, preschool, and kindergarten admissions in New York City, revealing mechanisms of educational inequality. A secondary research line explores cultural heterogeneity and resource allocation across communities, analyzing how these factors shape social action and mobility pathways.
Publications demonstrate consistent focus on educational inequality and cultural sociology. Recent work analyzes disability exclusion in elite schools (2025) and success frameworks among second-generation Mexican immigrants (2020), employing qualitative methods to deconstruct meritocracy and achievement paradigms.
Awards and Fellowships:
- Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship
- Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowship
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
- Charles Tilly Award for Teaching and Service (2019)
Teaching experience includes serving as Instructor of Record for 'Sociology of Education' at Columbia University (2022) and teaching assistantships in research methods. No current graduate advisees are documented.
She collaborates with researchers including Lauren Rivera and Jennifer Lee. Previous professional experience includes undergraduate admissions work at Princeton and conference coordination for poverty-alleviation initiatives.
