Taylor M. Cruz

Taylor M. Cruz is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Health Sciences at Northeastern University, cross-appointed between the College of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Bouvé College of Health Sciences. Her research focuses on the societal dimensions of data analytics, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies in healthcare and biomedicine, emphasizing issues of equity, power, and justice. She holds a PhD in Sociology from UC San Francisco and is a network affiliate with the Emancipatory Sciences Lab.

Education:

• PhD in Sociology, University of California, San Francisco (2018)

Research Interests: Cruz examines how data-driven technologies reinforce or challenge systemic inequalities, particularly in healthcare. Her work critiques algorithmic bias, AI governance, and the sociotechnical dynamics of marginalized communities. She employs ethnographic methods to study biomedical data practices, port automation resistance, and LGBTQ+ health disparities.

Awards & Recognition:

• Donald W. Light Award (ASA, 2023)
• Ida B. Wells-Troy Duster Award (ASA SKAT Section, 2022)
• Featured as editorial board member for American Sociological Review (2024–)

Grants & Collaborations:

• Funded by NIH/National Science Foundation
• Co-created the critical STS zine *AI for Whose Good?* with Sophie Wang
• Founder of Health, Tech, and Society Lab at California State University, Fullerton

Future Work: Will join the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton, NJ) in Fall 2025 to advance research on AI ethics and data justice.