Jessica Houston Su

Jessica Houston Su is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with an adjunct appointment in Public Policy. Her research examines American family life, inequality, and demographic patterns, focusing on family formation and its effects on health and well-being of parents and children.

She earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from Cornell University and her B.A. in Sociology from Dartmouth College.

Professor Su's work investigates socioeconomic and racial disparities in family formation, particularly unintended and nonmarital fertility, and the consequences for mental health. She also studies how nonstandard work schedules impact working mothers and their young children, using quantitative demographic methods.

A faculty fellow at the Carolina Population Center, she publishes in top journals including American Sociological Review, Social Forces, and Demography.