Rebecca Karam

Rebecca Karam is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Michigan State University (MSU), part of the College of Social Science. She holds a PhD from the City University of New York (2020) and focuses on race, religion, and immigration in American society. Her research examines how Muslim American families navigate identity formation across generations, particularly in urban settings like Detroit.

Her work bridges sociological fields, including race and ethnicity studies, the sociology of religion, and urban sociology. Current projects explore the racialization of Muslim Americans and the intergenerational transmission of religious and cultural identity. A forthcoming book, Making Muslim Americans (NYU Press), analyzes parenting strategies and faith practices among upper-middle-class Muslim American families.

Key achievements include the 2019 Candace Rogers Award for her 2017 study on mosques in declining urban neighborhoods. Her research has been published in journals like Ethnic and Racial Studies and City & Community.

Rebecca is actively engaged in Detroit’s academic and community networks, leveraging interdisciplinary approaches to address issues of belonging, discrimination, and urban revitalization. She maintains an active presence on social platforms like Mastodon, discussing topics ranging from sociology to emerging technologies in education.