Ruby Mendenhall

Dr. Ruby Mendenhall is an Associate Professor with joint appointments in Sociology, African American Studies, Urban and Regional Planning, and Social Work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research examines social inequality across the life course, focusing on how public policy and individual agency influence economic mobility.

Mendenhall investigates racial disparities in housing, health outcomes, and educational settings. Her current multi-site study analyzes how low-to-moderate-income families utilize Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) funds for social mobility in Champaign and Boston. Additional research explores job displacement among professionals and housing mobility programs.

Her publications consistently address racial dynamics in institutional settings, economic policy impacts on marginalized communities, and methodological innovations for documenting Black women's experiences. Recent work examines how periodic EITC payments affect food security and wellbeing, and analyzes racial microaggressions in predominantly white universities.