Sharan Kaur Mehta

Sharan Kaur Mehta is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of New Mexico (UNM), affiliated with the Department of Sociology & Criminology and the Institute for the Study on “Race” and Social Justice. Her research focuses on racial boundaries, identity negotiations, and collective action among Asians and Asian Americans, with a global intersectional lens. She holds a PhD in Sociology from Rice University (2023), an MA in Sociology from Rice (2019), and a BA in Chemistry from Bryn Mawr College (2012).

• Education: PhD Sociology (Rice University), MA Sociology (Rice), BA Chemistry (Bryn Mawr).
• Current Projects: Investigates South Asian identities in Texas and collaborates on revising race/ethnicity data standards for the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

Her research explores anti-Asian racism, Islamophobia, and solidarity-building strategies among South Asian communities. She analyzes how religious diversity (e.g., Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus) interacts with racial positioning in the U.S.

Publications span topics like multiracial organizational responses to marginalization, white Christian colorblindness, and the morality of reproductive technologies. Her work bridges sociology of religion, race, and gender to address systemic inequities.