Lynn Hempel

Lynn Hempel is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at Colorado State University (CSU). Her research focuses on social stratification, race, ethnicity, religion, and environmental sociology. She holds a PhD in Sociology from Duke University and an M.Sc. in Sociology from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her work examines processes of social inequality, including boundary formation, racial dynamics, and the interplay between religion and environmental policy.

Dr. Hempel’s research spans diverse topics such as immigration attitudes, climate change activism among conservative groups, and the socio-environmental impacts of resource extraction. She has published in journals like Social Forces, Social Problems, and Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. Her studies frequently address marginalized communities, including Latinx populations affected by disasters and workers in global supply chains.

At CSU, she contributes to interdisciplinary discussions on environmental justice, gender performance in fitness cultures, and the sociological dimensions of faith-based environmentalism. Her work bridges theoretical frameworks with empirical investigations, highlighting systemic inequities in education, labor, and policy.

Dr. Hempel’s office is located at the Sociology Office Modular, 1100 Meridian Ave. Building A, Fort Collins, CO. She can be reached via lynn.hempel@colostate.edu. The Sociology Department is part of the College of Liberal Arts, reflecting her commitment to humanities-driven research.