Loren Beard

Loren Beard is a Harvard College Fellow in the Department of Sociology at Harvard University. They received their PhD in Sociology from the University of Chicago in 2025, focusing on social and structural determinants of child and family well-being. Their research spans child welfare systems, social policy impacts, and mental health inequalities.

• Current Projects
• The Transition Shock (NSF & Horowitz Foundation funded)
• Incarceration & Family Rights
• Suicide Prevention in Schools
• Child Institutionalization & Family Reunification

Their work appears in Social Science & Medicine, Children & Youth Services Review, and Sociological Forum. Key article trends include:

• Quantitative analysis of structural inequality impacts
• Qualitative ethnography of welfare systems
• Neuroimaging contributions to psychiatric research
• Policy evaluations for family-centered care

Scientific accolades include awards from the American Sociological Association and Society for the Study of Social Problems. Funding sources include:

• NSF grants
• Horowitz Foundation fellowships
• AHRQ T32 Health Services Research Fellowship

Beard's teaching portfolio includes courses on Social Statistics, Social Inequalities in Health, and The Social Psychology of Inequality. Student feedback highlights exceptional TA performance in quantitative methods instruction.