Jennifer Darrah

Jennifer Darrah is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where she also serves as the Undergraduate Chair. She is affiliated with the College of Social Sciences and holds joint affiliations with the Departments of Urban and Regional Planning and Ethnic Studies, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of her work.

Her educational background includes a PhD and MA in Sociology from Brown University and a BA in Social Studies from Harvard University, completed magna cum laude. Prior to her current role, she was a post-doctoral research associate at Johns Hopkins University’s Poverty and Inequality Research Lab and taught in Harvard’s Social Studies program.

Jennifer Darrah's research lies at the intersection of urban sociology, race/ethnicity/indigeneity, and political sociology. She investigates how place—land, neighborhood, and community—shapes identity, well-being, and socio-economic opportunity. Her work critically examines how racism, colonialism, and ethnic inequality structure urban development, with a focus on resistance movements, particularly in Hawaiʻi. She studies high-end luxury housing developments, homelessness, affordable housing, and the criminalization of homelessness in Honolulu. Her research also explores racial and economic residential segregation in metropolitan areas including Baltimore, Dallas, and Cleveland.

Her research has been supported by prestigious funding bodies such as the National Science Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, and the Casey Foundation. She actively collaborates with graduate students and community organizations, emphasizing policy-relevant and community-engaged scholarship. She has conducted studies on rental assistance, public housing, housing vouchers, and barriers to fair housing.

• Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching (2019)

She mentors graduate students and encourages service-learning, including participation in the Mālama i nā Ahupa‘a initiative. She is a leader in the UH Mānoa Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation initiative. While no recent publications are listed in the provided text, her scholarly output is expected to reflect themes of urban inequality, racial justice, and community empowerment.