Sarah Thébaud

Sarah Thébaud is a Professor of Sociology and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). She holds affiliations with the Technology Management Program and the Broom Center for Demography. Her research focuses on gender inequality in work, organizations, and families, employing experimental studies, cross-national comparisons, and qualitative methods. Key areas include STEM segregation, work-family policies, entrepreneurial gender gaps, and elite household dynamics.

Thébaud earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from Cornell University and completed postdoctoral research at Princeton University. She has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the Kauffman Foundation. Her work has received awards from ASA sections and media attention from outlets like The New York Times and NPR.

Her research reveals persistent gender disparities in leadership, entrepreneurship, and domestic labor. For instance, she examines how cultural stereotypes and organizational norms perpetuate male overrepresentation in STEM and entrepreneurship. Recent projects include studies on the gender division of labor among financial elites and the impact of work-family policies on men’s and women’s participation.

Her publications span academic journals (Gender & Society, American Sociological Review) and popular media (Newsweek, The Conversation). Thébaud teaches graduate courses on the sociology of gender and professional development, as well as undergraduate courses on gender and work, social psychology, and research methodologies.

Grants include NSF funding for studying gender in elite households. Her work bridges theoretical insights with practical policy recommendations, emphasizing institutional reforms to address systemic gender inequities.