Tagart Cain Sobotka

Tagart Cain Sobotka is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), part of the College of Letters and Science. His research focuses on gender, social psychology, substance use/addiction, and health inequalities. He holds a PhD from Stanford University and a BA from UC Berkeley. Sobotka’s work examines mechanisms of inequality through mixed methods, including studies on opioid crisis stigma and masculinity’s role in gender inequality.

Education:

• Ph.D., Sociology, Stanford University
• B.A., Sociology, University of California, Berkeley
• Associate in Arts, San Diego Mesa College (Valedictorian)

Research Interests: Sobotka’s research spans two core areas. First, his work on the opioid crisis analyzes racial stereotypes, recovery narratives, and family dynamics through qualitative and experimental methods. Second, his studies on masculinity explore pluralistic ignorance, status threat, and how these mechanisms perpetuate gender inequality. His findings have implications for public policy, health equity, and social justice.

Awards & Honors:

• DARE Fellowship, Stanford University
• Barbara & Sandy Dornbusch Award for Social Psychology
• Graduate Research Opportunity (GRO) Award
• EDGE Fellowship

Teaching & Mentorship: As an instructor, Sobotka emphasizes inclusive pedagogy and skill-building for diverse students. He has taught courses on drugs and society, gender, social psychology, and research methods at both UCSB and Stanford. His mentorship includes roles in the Stanford COLLEGE program and community college leadership.

Labs & Collaborations: While not explicitly named, his research engages interdisciplinary teams, including collaborations with scholars like Emily Carian and Sheridan A. Stewart on opioid policy and masculinity studies.