Ian Kennedy

Ian Kennedy is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Illinois Chicago. Their work focuses on computational social science, examining intersections of race, digital platforms, and text analysis to study contemporary racism, sexism, and transphobia. Key areas include residential segregation, online misinformation, and critical race theory.

Research projects include analyzing billions of Reddit comments to study gendered discourse (collaborating with Hannah Curtis and Leo G. Stewart), and redefining neighborhood boundaries using Craigslist rental ad data to improve segregation metrics (with Kyle Crowder). They also partner with organizations like the Northwest Justice Project and Election Integrity Partnership to apply research in real-world contexts.

Publications emphasize computational methods applied to social issues like election misinformation, housing affordability, and the role of security deposits in rental markets. Their work bridges academic and practical applications, aiming to inform policy and community initiatives.

Collaborations highlight interdisciplinary approaches, combining sociology with data science. Ongoing projects visualize neighborhood dynamics through maps of socially salient spaces, challenging traditional census-based segregation analyses.