About
Meet Laura
I believe social science helps us uncover meaningful stories about social life that apply across the human experience—from our personal lives that play out among friends and family, to our work lives. Some years back, I decided to shift gears and return to higher education full-time. I finished that endeavor with a Master’s in Sociology, and I’ve worked as a social scientist ever since.
I began teaching as an adjunct sociology instructor in 2020. A few years in, I expanded into program evaluation, working as a data analyst and project coordinator. More recently, I moved into research for academic publication—most notably, co-editing The International Handbook of Women and Poverty (Bloomsbury, forthcoming fall 2026).
Along the way, I’ve gotten to work on projects that span different areas of research and to explore some of the most interesting connections between people and social structures. These experiences have led me to believe, more than ever, that the tenets of social science—empirical research, critical thinking, and situating individual experience within broader social circumstances—are genuinely useful to people. At the end of the day, that’s what matters most to me, and I’m proud to be part of this practice.
Research
Research Interests
- The changing nature of work and labor market structures, including how automation, workforce transformation, and economic shifts reshape employment and occupational opportunity.
- How labor markets intersect with social structures and circumstances to produce and reproduce economic inequality—from occupational segregation and realities of wages.
- The feminization of poverty and its structural conditions, examined through an international comparative lens.
- Qualitative and mixed-methods research design, including content analysis, interview-based and ethnographic inquiry, and quantitative analysis.
Publications
Publications
The International Handbook of Women and Poverty
An international essay collection examining the feminization of poverty, spanning topics from food insecurity and disparities in medical care to labor market exclusion and economic policy. Contributors bring field research, data, and policy analysis from across the globe to illuminate how poverty is gendered in practice.
Bloomsbury Academic →Professional Activity
Conference Presentations & Professional Activities
Curriculum Vitae
Curriculum Vitae
To request a copy of my CV, please reach out via the contact section below.
Contact