Julie A. Dowling

Julie A. Dowling is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Previously, she held the same rank at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in the Department of Latina/Latino Studies. Her research focuses on race, ethnicity, and the U.S. Census, particularly how Latino/a communities engage with federal racial categorizations. She authored *Mexican Americans and the Question of Race* (2014), which received recognition for its analysis of racial identity disjunctions. Dowling chaired the U.S. Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations (2019–2020), advocating for equitable census practices. Her work bridges academia and public policy, addressing immigrant and refugee communities’ needs.

Her research interests include racial attitudes, government perception among diverse groups, and the sociological implications of census methodologies. Current projects explore how various racial groups perceive governmental institutions, leveraging survey data from Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area. Dowling’s interdisciplinary approach combines qualitative interviews with quantitative analysis, emphasizing real-world policy impacts.

She has held leadership roles in professional organizations, earning accolades for public sociology contributions. Her career reflects a commitment to advancing inclusive policies through rigorous scholarly engagement.