Simone Ispa-Landa

Simone Ispa-Landa is an Associate Professor in Sociology and Human Development & Social Policy at Northwestern University, with dual appointments in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Education and Social Policy. She is also a faculty fellow at the Institute for Policy Research. Her research focuses on race and gender inequality in educational contexts, employing qualitative methods to explore issues like school discipline, peer hierarchies, and policy impacts on marginalized groups.

Her current projects include a book examining racial and gender inequality in suburban school discipline (under contract with UC Press) and studies on Greek life at elite colleges and school discipline reform. Her work has been funded by the Spencer Foundation, William T. Grant Foundation, and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. She holds editorial roles at Sociology of Education, Gender & Society, and AERA Open.

Key awards include the William T. Grant Institutional Challenge Grant (2022) and the Northwestern Women’s Center Gender Equity Award (2018). Her research bridges academic and community partnerships, addressing systemic inequities through engaged scholarship.