CCF is proud to announce this year’s Early Career Scholars! Big congratulations to:
- Dr. Christina Cross, Harvard University
- Dr. Priya Fielding-Singh, University of Utah
- Dr. Jessica Su, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Dr. Zhe (Meredith) Zhang, University of Arkansas
The CCF Early Career Scholars Program offers a unique professional development and mentorship opportunity to early-career scholars conducting research on American families. The program offers selected scholars mentorship from senior scholars who will provide them guidance and support to promote their research to journalists and the media. More information on each scholar can be found below.
Christina Cross (@christinajcross) is an incoming Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Harvard University. Her research program: How do family structure, change, and dynamics influence individual wellbeing across the life course, particularly among minoritized and/or low-income populations? Her research for the CCF Scholars program examines the academic and labor market trajectories of Black and White youth who are raised in two-parent families. She also investigates factors that may account for any observed racial disparities in the impact of this family structure.
Priya Fielding-Singh (@priyafsingh) is an Assistant Professor of Family and Consumer Studies at the University of Utah. Her research program examines American families and inequality, with a particular focus on health and gender. Her research for the CCF Scholars program examines maternal foodwork – or the daily labor that mothers perform to nourish their children–to investigate how mothers manage the recurring feelings of guilt that arise due to the high-stakes pressures and expectations around feeding kids.
Jessica Su (@jesshoustonsu) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research focuses on how social inequality shapes the health and well-being of families, with a focus on family structure, unintended fertility, and maternal employment characteristics. Her research for the CCF Scholars program explores how the long-term effects of breastfeeding on child development differ depending on a mother’s initial likelihood to breastfeed.
Zhe (Meredith) Zhang (@meredithiszz) is an incoming Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Arkansas. Her research explores how family characteristics and experiences shape the health and well-being of those who are subject to substantial family-related and/or identity-related stress, including women, as well as sexual and gender minorities. Her research for the CCF Scholars program examines whether and how sexuality complicates the association between gender and caregiving dynamics.
