John Mohr

John Mohr was a Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), affiliated with the College of Letters and Science. He was a globally recognized leader in cultural sociology, known for pioneering the integration of quantitative methods, computational tools, and big data into cultural analysis. His work emphasized bridging qualitative and quantitative approaches, formalizing the study of meaning-making processes, and advancing institutional theory.

Education: Ph.D. in Sociology from Yale University (advisor: Charles Perrow), M.A. and B.A. from UC Irvine. Mohr’s research focused on complex organizations, institutional logics, and the sociological implications of diversity initiatives. He played a pivotal role in UCSB and UC-wide diversity programs, including leadership in the NSF AGEP initiative, securing a $22 million grant to increase underrepresented minority representation in academia.

Research Interests: Mohr’s work spanned computational hermeneutics, network science, and the sociology of science. He developed methods for analyzing text data (e.g., word embeddings, topic modeling) and institutional dynamics. His legacy includes foundational contributions to the 'cultural turn' in sociology and transformative diversity initiatives in higher education.

Awards: Recipient of UCSB’s Distinguished Teaching Award (2018). His commitment to diversity inspired the ASA Culture Section Fellowship, supporting students of color. Mohr passed away in 2019 after a battle with ALS, leaving a profound impact on sociology and institutional reform.

Grants & Leadership: Led NSF AGEP, co-founded UC-DIGSSS, and served on UC’s Outreach Advisory Group. His work extended to collaborations with HBCUs and NSF ADVANCE/PAID programs. Mohr mentored numerous underrepresented scholars and chaired major academic committees.

Labs & Teams: Central to UCSB’s sociology department, Mohr collaborated with interdisciplinary teams on projects like the UC-wide diversity initiatives and NSF-funded research networks.