Sharese King is the Neubauer Family Assistant Professor of Linguistics at the University of Chicago, where she has taught since 2018. She earned her Ph.D. and Master's in Linguistics from Stanford University, focusing on language variation across African American communities. Her research bridges sociolinguistics, critical race theory, and phonetics to examine how African American speech is constructed, racialized, and socially evaluated. Education: Ph.D., Linguistics, Stanford University (2018) M.A., Linguistics, Stanford University Research Interests: Sociolinguistics Language Variation & Change African American Language Critical Race Theory Phonetic and experimental analysis Dialect and judicial systems Notable Contributions: Interdisciplinary studies on raciolinguistics and courtroom bias Analysis of /s/ articulation in intersectional contexts Reconceptualization of AAVE as AAL to emphasize linguistic diversity Fieldwork in Bakersfield, Rochester, and Chicago Publications in American Speech , Journal of Sociolinguistics , Language , and Nature Scientific Awards: Provost's Postdoctoral Fellowship Neubauer Family Assistant Professorship Labs & Projects: Co-founder of the Chicagoland Language Project
Andrea Voyer is a Professor of Sociology at Stockholm University , focusing on social norms, boundaries, and their role in shaping social inequality , particularly in the context of immigrant integration , class disparities, and ethnic inequality. She employs both qualitative and computational methods , including large-scale text analysis and cultural theory, to explore these themes. Her research has received funding from Riksbankens Jubileumsfond , the Swedish Research Council , the National Science Foundation (USA) , and the Russell Sage Foundation . Voyer serves as a program coordinator for master's programs in sociology and applied social research, and leads the department's research groups in qualitative methods , computational sociology , and cultural sociology . She is also an editorial board member for Sociological Theory and American Journal of Cultural Sociology , and contributes to public discourse on immigration, segregation, and social norms. Her recent publications highlight the use of computational techniques to analyze immigrant incorporation through shifts in mainstream discourse, the cultural processes of inequality during the COVID-19 pandemic , and the evolving role of class distinction-making in etiquette literature. These works bridge cultural theory with empirical analysis, offering actionable insights for addressing social inequality.
Prof. Dr. Olena Palko is a historian specializing in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, and Ukraine. She holds the SNSF Professorship at the University of Basel's Department of History, focusing on East European History. Her research emphasizes Soviet minority policies, cultural politics, and national identity formation in interwar Ukraine. She is a leading scholar with notable works including Making Ukraine Soviet (2021), awarded the 2023 Alexander Nove Prize. Her current SNF-funded project, Red Tower of Babel , examines Soviet minority experiments in Ukraine. Education: PhD from University of East Anglia (2017); Kandydat nauk from National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (2013). Research Interests: Soviet nationality policy, minority history, Ukrainian twentieth-century history, transnational border dynamics. Her work bridges archival analysis with transnational perspectives, addressing contested borderlands between Poland and the USSR. Key publications include co-edited volumes like Making Ukraine (2022) and Ukraine's Many Faces (2023). She actively contributes to academic governance roles, including co-convening the BASEES Study Group for Minority History and serving on the Scientific Advisory Council of the Council of Europe's history observatory.
Dr. Olle Järv is an Academy Research Fellow at the University of Helsinki's Department of Geosciences and Geography. As Docent in Human Geography and holder of a joint PhD from University of Tartu and Ghent University, his research focuses on leveraging big data sources like mobile phone records and social media for analyzing human mobility patterns across European cross-border regions. Key research areas: Spatial segregation, urban diversity, transnationalism, and pandemic-induced mobility changes Current projects: BORDERSPACE (2020-2025) – Mapping transnational spaces through mobility data MOBI-TWIN (2023-2026) – Regional mobility patterns in twin transitions WinWin4WorkLife (2024-2027) – Sustainable cross-border remote work His methodological innovations include developing tools for analyzing social media data and mobile phone records to study urban dynamics. Recent recognitions include the 2024 Research Council of Finland Award and 2021 Best Paper Award from Journal of Location Based Services.
Kevin M. Kruse is Professor of History at Princeton University and Director of Undergraduate Studies. Specializing in 20th-century U.S. political, social, and urban history, his research examines conflicts over race, rights, and religion. Kruse earned his B.A. from UNC Chapel Hill and Ph.D. from Cornell University, joining Princeton after positions at the University of Virginia. His scholarship explores the civil rights movement, religious nationalism, suburbanization, and modern conservatism. Recent books analyze the corporate invention of Christian America and historical myths in American political discourse. Current projects include studies of civil rights lawyer John Doar and 'law and order' politics in New York City. Honored as a Guggenheim Fellow and Smithsonian Innovator, Kruse has received the Francis B. Simkins Award and Best Book in Urban Politics award. He teaches courses on civil rights, suburban history, and modern U.S. politics, and advises graduate students in 20th-century U.S. history. Kruse frequently engages public discourse through media appearances and collaborative projects with documentary filmmakers.
Lance Freeman is the Penn Integrates Knowledge (PIK) Professor of City and Regional Planning and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on neighborhood dynamics, gentrification, urban poverty, housing policy, and the interplay between the built environment and public health. He holds a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1997), an MRP in Regional Planning (1991), and a B.S. in Business Administration from SUNY Buffalo (1987). Prior to academia, he worked at Mathematica Policy Research and as a City Planner at the New York City Housing Authority. Freeman teaches courses on urban planning theory, quantitative methods, and community development at Columbia University and the University of Delaware. His research interests include understanding neighborhood change, leveraging social media and technology for urban analysis, and promoting equitable urban development. Key publications include There Goes the Hood: Views of Gentrification from the Ground Up (2006), A Haven and a Hell: The Ghetto in Black America (2019), and co-authored Planning and Control of Land Development (2020). He has contributed to debates on inclusionary zoning, racial equity planning, and the impacts of urban policies on marginalized communities. Freeman's work intersects urban sociology, policy analysis, and spatial demography. His recent studies explore gentrification migration patterns, the role of social media in neighborhood change, and historical segregation dynamics. He advocates for evidence-based planning to address urban inequality and spatial injustice.
Aleksander Madsen is a Researcher at the University of Oslo (UiO), affiliated with the Department of Sociology and Human Geography under the Faculty of Social Sciences. His primary research interests include social stratification, immigrant assimilation in labor markets, welfare state policies, and statistical methods. He holds a PhD from Oslo Metropolitan University and an MA from UiO. Education: PhD in Sociology, Centre for the Study of Professions, Oslo Metropolitan University (2014–2018) MA in Sociology, University of Oslo (2013) His research explores labor market integration of immigrants, gender disparities in male-dominated workplaces, and the impact of education-occupation mismatch on health outcomes. He has conducted longitudinal studies on long-term sickness absence and labor market trajectories using sequence analysis. Dr. Madsen has held postdoctoral and research positions at UiO and NIFU, and was a visiting scholar at Stanford University's SCANCOR (2024) funded by the Fulbright Foundation. His work spans interdisciplinary collaborations, including projects on workplace diversity, ethnic stratification, and policy evaluations. Awards: U.S. - Norway Fulbright Foundation Grant (2023–2024) His research group affiliations include the Social Inequalities and Population Dynamics team and the ORGMIGRANT project, investigating work organizations and immigrant assimilation. Recent publications address residential networks among immigrants, workplace ethnic diversity, and women’s attrition from male-dominated sectors.
Sean F. Reardon is the Professor of Poverty and Inequality in Education and a Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) at Stanford University . He also holds a Professor (by courtesy) of Sociology . His work focuses on social and educational inequality, including residential and school segregation, racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in academic achievement, and causal inference methods. Education: Ed.D., Harvard University, Educational Administration, Planning, and Social Policy (1997) M.Ed., Harvard University, Educational Administration, Planning and Social Policy (1992) M.A., University of Notre Dame, International Peace Studies (1991) B.A., University of Notre Dame, Program of Liberal Studies; Minor in Honors Mathematics (1986) Research Interests center on the causes and patterns of educational and racial inequality, the effects of school integration policies, and income inequality's social consequences. His Stanford Educational Opportunity Research Lab analyzes achievement gaps and segregation trends across U.S. school districts using large-scale datasets. Recent Publications highlight cross-national achievement gap comparisons, pandemic recovery disparities, and methodological advancements in segregation measurement. His work often integrates Data Sciences and Sociology to address policy-relevant questions. Awards Elected Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences Elected Member, National Academy of Education Advising includes mentoring Doctoral Students like Tyler McDaniel and Postdoctoral Researchers like Farah Mallah. His Stanford Interdisciplinary Doctoral Training Program in Quantitative Education Policy Analysis (2009–2021) trained future scholars in rigorous policy methods.
Mary Pattillo serves as the Harold Washington Professor of Sociology and Chair of the Department of Black Studies at Northwestern University's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, with additional affiliation at the Institute for Policy Research. Her work centers on Chicago's urban landscape as a critical site for examining systemic racism and inequality. Her academic foundation includes a PhD in Sociology from the University of Chicago (1997) and a BA in Urban Studies from Columbia University (1991), establishing her expertise in urban analysis and racial dynamics. Pattillo's research agenda prioritizes race and ethnicity, urban sociology, and inequality through the lens of Black communities, with particular focus on housing, criminal legal systems, and the Black middle class. Her ethnographic approach reveals how spatial dynamics shape life outcomes, as demonstrated in her influential books Black Picket Fences (1999) and Black on the Block (2007), which introduced the pivotal "middlemen/middlewomen" framework for understanding professional Black roles in mediating inequality. Current work advances the "Black Advantage Vision" paradigm to reframe racial inequality research. Her publication trajectory shows deepening engagement with structural racism across multiple domains: from early neighborhood ethnographies to contemporary analyses of monetary sanctions and placemaking. This evolution reflects an interdisciplinary expansion into criminology, policy studies, and cultural sociology while maintaining core commitments to urban inequality and Black community resilience. Major recognitions include: Election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2020) Robert E. Park Award for Best Book (2008) Oliver Cromwell Cox Best Book Award (2000) Fulbright Scholar designation (2019-2020) Weinberg College Community Building Award (2018) Outstanding Academic Book Award (2000) Pattillo actively mentors students through courses like Urban Ethnography and Sociology of Housing while leading significant research initiatives on school choice and criminal legal sanctions. Her community impact extends through board service at the W.T. Grant Foundation and Chicago Appleseed Center, plus founding Urban Prep Academies. Current projects examining Black safety in Chicago demonstrate her sustained commitment to community-engaged scholarship addressing urgent urban challenges.
Annie S. Adamian serves as an Associate Professor in the School of Education at California State University, Chico since 2016, with her office located in THMA 437. Her contact details include phone (530-898-4154) and email (aadamian@csuchico.edu). Her academic credentials feature: Ed.D. in International & Multicultural Education (Human Rights Education emphasis), University of San Francisco, 2016 M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction, California State University, Chico, 2010 Single Subject Teaching Credential, California State University, Chico, 2001 B.S. in Geosciences (Science Education concentration), California State University, Chico, 2000 A.A. & A.S. in General Education, Pasadena City College, 1997 Dr. Adamian's research interrogates race evasiveness through the lens of educational equity, examining how teacher/student agency and healing-centered practices can transform relationships and outcomes for oppressed communities. Her work integrates critical race theory with human rights frameworks to challenge systemic inequities across educational settings. Recent publications (2021-2024) reveal consistent focus on dismantling racial hierarchies in diverse contexts—from science classrooms to cafeteria dynamics—with recurring themes of community building, whiteness deconstruction, and participatory action research methodologies. Her scholarship bridges theoretical rigor with practical classroom applications for racial justice.
Douglas D. Ready is an Associate Professor of Education and Public Policy at Teachers College, Columbia University , where he serves as Director of the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE-TC). His research focuses on the intersections of education policy, social policy, and educational equity, particularly how policies influence socio-demographic disparities in cognitive development. Research Interests: Ready’s work examines the structural determinants of educational equity, including school choice architecture, personalized learning, early childhood education, and the impacts of technology on instruction. He has published extensively in journals such as Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis and Sociology of Education . Editorial Roles: Ready contributes to the academic community as a member of the editorial boards of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis and American Educational Research Journal . Key Projects: He has led analyses of programs like Teach to One: Math and Pre-K for All , exploring their effects on student outcomes and equity.
Zaire Dinzey-Flores is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at Rutgers University. Her work examines how urban spaces shape community life and inequality through interdisciplinary frameworks in sociology, urban planning, and public policy, often comparing Caribbean and U.S. contexts. Education: PhD, University of Michigan (2005) Her research focuses on housing design, racial and class segregation, and the role of the built environment in perpetuating inequality. She explores topics such as real estate practices in Brooklyn, transatlantic housing policy, and mobile data analysis of racial segregation. Her publications span urban sociology, criminology, and postcolonial studies, highlighting intersections of race, housing, and policy. Recent work includes a 2023 study on Latina/o/x criminologies and a 2021 photographic exploration of American inequality. Scientific Awards: 2014 Robert E. Park Award (American Sociological Association) 2014 Honorable Mention, Frank Bonilla Book Award (Puerto Rican Studies Association) She serves as Vice Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, actively mentoring students and collaborating on interdisciplinary projects related to urban inequality.
Marianne Nordli Hansen is a Professor at the Department of Sociology and Human Geography , University of Oslo. With a career spanning decades, her research focuses on social stratification , class and inequality , labor market conditions , economic inequality , and elites . She has taught courses like Sociological Theory (SOS4001), Theory Specialization in Sociology (SOS4011), and Inequality: Class, Gender and Ethnicity (SOS4100). Education: MA in Sociology (University of Oslo, 1984), Dr. philos in Sociology (University of Oslo, 1996) Positions: Associate Professor (ISS, UiO, 1996), Professor (ISS, UiO, 1999) Her research explores wealth accumulation , intergenerational mobility , social networks , and educational policy . Key collaborators include Professor Olav Korsnes and Associate Professor Johannes Hjellbrekke at the University of Bergen. Current projects focus on social inequality in Norway , with publications analyzing elite professions, wealth distribution, and class-based educational disparities. She has contributed to significant works on Nordic welfare models and public sector impacts on segregation and equality.
Magnus Dahlstedt is Professor of Social Work at Linköping University's Department of Culture and Society (IKOS) since 2019, previously holding the same position at ISV (Institution for Social and Welfare Studies) from 2015-2019. He has been responsible for the research environment and doctoral education in Social Work at Linköping University from 2016 to 2023. His academic journey began with a PhD in Ethnicity from Linköping University in 2005, followed by becoming a docent (associate professor) in 2009 and a biträdande professor (associate professor) in 2014 before achieving full professorship in 2015. Dahlstedt's research centers on citizenship formation in contemporary society shaped by welfare policy transformations and international migration. His work examines how citizenship is concretely formed in segregated urban environments, focusing particularly on the gap between formal rights and substantive living conditions. He investigates social pedagogical efforts across public policy, education, and the non-profit sector, with special attention to vulnerable groups including young people with foreign backgrounds in urban peripheries. His methodological approach is interdisciplinary, grounded in critical power analysis, discourse analysis, and ideological critique, often involving cross-disciplinary research collaborations. His recent publications reveal consistent thematic focus on migration, social inclusion, and urban segregation, with particular emphasis on how sports can serve as tools for social purposes in marginalized communities. The research shows increasing attention to longitudinal studies of migrants' trajectories and the role of different educational contexts (high school, folk high schools, study associations) in integration processes. Dahlstedt's work demonstrates strong policy relevance, with findings frequently presented in government agency reports and informing public debate on segregation and inclusion. Researcher at Center for Community Strategies Research (2018-2021) Member of Mimerrådet, National Program for Folk Education Research (since 2014) Department Head at Remeso, Linköping University (2012-2015) Dahlstedt actively contributes to public discourse through media appearances, public lectures, and alternative writing projects including the anthology 'Brandtal' (2023) and 'Hårdare kan ingen vara' (2023), while preparing 'En professors dagbok' for publication in fall 2024. His research is funded by multiple agencies including Vetenskapsrådet, Norrköping Research and Development Fund, and the Swedish Crime Prevention Council.
Jan O. Jonsson is a Professor of Sociology at Nuffield College, University of Oxford. His primary research focuses on social stratification, including educational inequality, class structure, and social mobility. He also studies ethnic stratification, particularly through his role as Principal Investigator (PI) for Sweden in the comparative CILS4EU project on minority schoolchildren integration. Jonsson oversees the Swedish Level-of-Living Survey (LNU), shaping his interest in welfare distribution analysis. His work bridges macro-level social structures with micro-level individual experiences, emphasizing intergenerational processes and immigrant integration. Research interests prominently feature studies on educational attainment disparities, immigrant integration dynamics in Sweden and Europe, and the social consequences of economic hardship. His recent work explores occupational aspirations among immigrant youth, mental health advantages of immigrant backgrounds, and policy impacts on child poverty during economic crises. As PI for CILS4EU, Jonsson leads a multinational study investigating educational and social integration trajectories of second-generation immigrants across Europe. His contributions include analyzing Sweden’s ‘middle way’ between social mobility and inequality patterns, and evaluating educational expansion strategies’ equity impacts. He has authored numerous articles on poverty measurement, family influences on mobility, and the role of education in socioeconomic reproduction. Key projects include the Level-of-Living Survey (LNU), which tracks welfare metrics, and comparative studies on social mobility across nations. His work frequently engages with policy implications of structural inequities, offering evidence-based insights for educational and social policies.
