Katie L. Acosta

Katie L. Acosta is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at Georgia State University’s College of Arts and Sciences. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut in 2009 and previously served as an assistant professor at Tulane University. Her academic work is deeply rooted in the intersections of gender, sexuality, race, family, and immigration, with a particular focus on LGBTQ Latinas and queer families.

• Ph.D., University of Connecticut, Storrs (2009)

Her research explores how sexually nonconforming Latinas negotiate family, faith, and identity, as detailed in her book Amigas y Amantes: Sexually Nonconforming Latinas Negotiate Family. She also investigates queer stepfamilies and the paths to their social and legal recognition in her second book, Queer Stepfamilies: The Path to Social and Legal Recognition. Her current research includes a mixed-methods study on Central American and Mexican asylum seekers in Atlanta during the Trump era, examining how their presence reshapes racial and ethnic dynamics.

Her scholarly work spans critical areas such as LGBTQ family structures, racial inequality, immigration, and the sociological impact of U.S. policy. Through her publications and public engagement, she addresses systemic racism, gendered expectations in academia, and the challenges faced by marginalized communities.

Dr. Acosta has received no explicitly listed scientific awards or fellowships in the provided texts.

As an educator, she mentors students and teaches courses on gender, family, and race and ethnicity. She has reflected publicly on the challenges of being a woman of color in academia, including issues of teaching evaluations, professional boundaries, and racial bias. She is actively involved in public sociology through her blog, where she discusses topics ranging from parenting and police violence to academic freedom under political pressure.

She is affiliated with research and advocacy initiatives focused on social justice, queer families, and racial equity, and her work contributes to broader conversations about inclusion and structural change in higher education and society.