About
I am a Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of California, Merced, where I conduct research in the Higher Education Race and the Economy Lab. In 2020, I completed my PhD in Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
My scholarship focuses on stratification, mobility, racial inequality, family, and the sociology of education. This research uses quasi-experimental methods and other causal inference strategies. I apply these methods to U.S. national surveys and large, statewide education databases. My research has received support from the Institute of Education Sciences through the U.S. Department of Education. My sole- and first-author work is published in journals such as Social Forces, Educational Researcher, Research in Higher Education, Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Socius, and Social Currents.
I am also an enthusiastic teacher with a degree in Education. I remain up-to-date on the scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education. Accordingly, my teaching incorporates research-validated practices to reduce stereotype threat, increase active participation, and equalize air time.
Christian Michael Smith 