Sherri Lawson Clark

Sherri Lawson Clark is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Wake Forest University's College of Arts and Sciences, specializing in housing instability and poverty policy through 25+ years of ethnographic fieldwork with low-income urban and rural communities. Her research examines intersections of housing policy with health, welfare, and racial inequality, guided by built environment theory where spaces are socially constructed and contested.

Her research interests focus on housing instability, residential mobility impacts on children, racial wealth disparities, and welfare policy implementation. Clark's work bridges academic scholarship with community engagement, developing practical tools like a national Housing Stability Measure to address affordability crises. She examines how housing costs exceeding 30% of income (reaching 50% in many cases) create cascading effects on family wellbeing.

Clark's scientific recognition includes the 2024 CBOV Faculty Leadership Award for cross-departmental collaboration and the Lam Family Endowed Faculty Fellowship supporting her ethnographic study The Stably Housed. Her research has been funded by HUD, Center for Rural Pennsylvania, and Strong@Home Partnership.

As Director of American Ethnic Studies, she expanded curriculum to address global ethnicity issues through partnerships with African American Studies, Latin American/Latino Studies, and Race, Inequality, and Policy Initiative (RIPI). Her community engagement includes advising The Women's Fund of Winston-Salem, City Human Relations Commission, and HUD. Clark's praxis-oriented teaching equips students with cultural sensitivities for global problem-solving through real-world application of theoretical frameworks.