Joan H. Robinson

Joan H. Robinson, JD, PhD, serves as Assistant Professor of Social Science and Law at City College of New York (CCNY) within the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies. Her interdisciplinary work critically examines how law and technology mediate power structures and social inequalities, with particular focus on gender justice and bodily autonomy.

Dr. Robinson holds dual doctoral degrees (JD and PhD) though specific institutions are not detailed in the source material. Her research expertise spans Law and Society, Science and Technology Studies, Women and Gender Studies, and Reproductive Justice, with additional specialization in Social Theory, Diagnostic Technologies, and Social Inequalities. Key methodologies include qualitative social science and legal analysis, supplemented by quantitative approaches.

Her recent publications reveal a cohesive trajectory analyzing surveillance through reproductive technologies (2014-2023), coerced medical procedures (2017), and transnational human rights frameworks (2005). Recurring themes include reproductive autonomy, technological mediation of power, and intersectional inequality, consistently connecting micro-level experiences to macro-level structural analysis.

Recognition includes:

• Tilly Award for excellence in teaching (Columbia University Sociology Department)
• Awards for academic achievement, writing, and pro bono legal service

Research funding has been secured from the National Science Foundation, Columbia University, Center for Science and Society, and Center for Organizational Innovation. As inaugural Associate Director of the Holder Initiative, she developed programming and grant infrastructure while mentoring students through a democratic, inclusive pedagogical approach focused on underrepresented groups. Her 15-year teaching career spans courses in social movements, law, and gender studies.

Dr. Robinson actively participates in social justice movements as both scholar and organizer, engaging in craftivism, die-ins, protest marches, and letter-writing campaigns aligned with her commitment to racial and gender justice.