UC Merced Connect: Sociologist explores inequality, higher ed

UC Merced sociologist Laura Hamilton has gained national attention since the 2013 release of the book she cowrote, “Paying for the Party: How College Maintains Inequality.”

The book, which illustrates the ways in which large state universities perpetuate inequality and inhibit social mobility by catering to privileged students, has contributed much to the larger discussion of the value of higher education.

Hamilton’s impact was recently recognized by higher education scholar Frederick M. Hess, director of education policy for the American Enterprise Institute, who ranked her No. 61 in his annual Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings.

Her selection marked UC Merced’s first appearance on the rankings, which use eight metrics to identify 200 university-based scholars who shape public discussions of education each year.

“Education and social class are two of the research topics I am most interested in as a sociologist,” Hamilton said. “Our hope with this book was to shine a light on the experiences of underprivileged students at large public universities, and I’m proud to have contributed to the understanding of such an important issue.”

Cowritten by Elizabeth A. Armstrong, “Paying for the Party” follows a group of 53 women – all starting at the same mid-tier state university and living on the same dormitory floor – through college and out into the workforce.

The book has been featured in national publications, including The New York Times, and led to Hamilton’s appearance in the 2014 documentary film “Ivory Tower,” which was recently broadcast on CNN.

Hess’ rankings, created in 2011, include many researchers from some of the nation’s most prestigious universities, with nearly 20 percent of this year’s list hailing from Stanford or Harvard. Hamilton ranked seventh among UC scholars, behind four from UCLA and two from UC Berkeley.

“One small way to encourage academics to step into the fray and revisit academic norms is, I think, by doing more to recognize and value those scholars who engage in public discourse,” Hess said in a news release about the rankings. “These results offer insight into how scholars in a field of public concern are influencing thinking and the national discourse.”

Nella Van Dyke, chairman of sociology at UC Merced, said Hamilton is an example of the important work being done by the university’s faculty, especially in the sociology program, which boasts a number of Fulbright scholars and published authors.

“Professor Hamilton is an outstanding scholar whose research challenges people’s assumptions about education and family life,” Van Dyke said. “She is a founding member of UC Merced’s graduate program in sociology, and a wonderful exemplar of the research excellence and public engagement that are central to our growing program.”

Faculty duo earn awards

Two UC Merced faculty members have earned publication awards from the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS).

Professor Yihsu Chen, with the School of Engineering, the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, and the Sierra Nevada Research Institute, won Best Publication 2014 for a paper published in the environment and sustainability category.

The paper, “Economic and Emissions Implications of Load-Based, Source-Based and First-Seller Emissions Trading Programs Under California AB32,” appeared in one of the organization’s flagship journals: Operations Research. It examines three types of carbon emissions trading programs for the electric power sector.

The paper has been cited 30 times since 2012, according to Google Scholar. Chen won second place in the same category last year for a paper on inducing clean technology in the electricity sector.

Erik Rolland, professor of management and interim dean of the School of Engineering, received an honorable mention as the best publication of the year to appear in Service Science.

His paper, “Dual Rules for Service Evaluation,” proposes that there are two types of thought process that make up how customers evaluate services they’ve received, and that the more complex process nets the most valuable feedback for improving service.

This story was originally published January 13, 2015 at 4:59 PM with the headline "UC Merced Connect: Sociologist explores inequality, higher ed."