Deanna Childress

Deanna is a graduate student in the department of Sociology and in CREO at the University of Notre Dame. She received a B.A. in Sociology and Psychology with a minor in International Studies from Aurora University and worked as a Fundraising Coordinator in University Advancement before joining the Notre Dame community. Deanna earned an MA from the University of Notre Dame in 2015. Her research interests include, but are not limited to: understanding how family and structural economic factors relate to school quality; examining the factors that lead to pathways out of school and into the criminal justice system (often called the “school-to-prison pipeline”); and understanding ways in which race disparities in education might correlate with race differences in criminal justice.

Deanna’s recent work has focused on the examination of the relationship between family cultural resources and student academic engagement. She is also preparing to explore the relationship between social mobility and social identity, specifically as it relates to role identity and racial identity. Deanna is working with Professor Bill Carbonaro on projects investigating the influence of peer networks on gender inequality in education and investigating the influence of peer networks on academic achievement of low SES students.