Gretchen Purser, associate professor of sociology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, has received a 2026 Public Sociology Award from the Eastern Sociological Society. She will be honored March 6 in Washington, D.C., during the organization’s 96th annual meeting.

Established in 2022, the Public Sociology Awards recognize sociologists at different career stages, pre-tenure/early career and post-tenure, whose innovative research is paired with meaningful public engagement. The awards each year honor scholars whose work is applied in real-world ways that help people, increase public understanding of social issues and contribute to the public good.

Purser is director of the law, society and policy integrated learning major, research co-director of advocacy and activism for the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration, and a senior research associate for the Center for Qualitative and Multi-Method Inquiry.

Her research and teaching focus on the housing struggles of the urban poor, work and labor market transformation, and the policies and practices of poverty management in the U.S. She has written numerous op-eds and public-facing articles on criminal justice reform, inequality and precarious work.

Purser wrote and directed the documentary “Raise the Roof: Building Tenant Power in Syracuse,” that chronicles the formation and activism of the Syracuse Tenants Union, a grassroots organization that advocates for tenants’ rights and legislative change. The film culminated a three-year, $350,000 research grant through the Interdisciplinary Research Leaders program sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Founded in 1930, the Eastern Sociological Society advances sociological research, promotes effective teaching and fosters collaboration among sociologists. The organization aims to apply sociological and evidence-based research to address pressing social problems. In addition to hosting professional workshops and awarding prizes recognizing excellence in the field, it also publishes the peer-reviewed journal, Sociological Forum.

Story by Jacob Spudich