Tina Wildhagen

Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, I have lived in Iowa for the last ten years. After completing my B.A. in sociology at Grinnell College, I moved to Iowa City to pursue graduate work in sociology at the University of Iowa.

My research interests center on the social reproduction of inequality across racial and ethnic groups, social classes, and gender. I am particularly interested in how the educational system perpetuates certain inequalities at the same time as it helps to narrow others.

My dissertation tackles the challenge of explaining academic achievement gaps between White and African American students. In particular, I empirically assess the extent to which hypotheses derived from oppositional culture theory can explain these gaps.

My work as a researcher informs my work as a teacher. My substantive research has taught me that teaching diverse groups of students calls for diversity in teaching techniques. Additionally, I use my own research to help students draw connections between sociological concepts and their experiences in the “real world” and to teach students about the research process.

In my free time, you can find me making art or going for a run along the Iowa River.