Dr. Joanna Pepin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University at Buffalo (SUNY). Prior to this position, she was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Population Research Center at the University of Texas - Austin.

As a family sociologist, she studies inequality as it is woven through couple and family relations. Her current research examines trends in attitudes and behaviors related to the distribution of resources within families, such as who does the housework, who works for pay, and how couples share (or don’t share) earnings and family responsibilities. Another research stream explores how historical time and place contribute to gender inequality within families and the growing divergence in outcomes among women. Her research has appeared in the Journal of Marriage and Family and Demography and it has been covered by news outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, and The Guardian.

I started my graduate studies at UMD without a background in sociology. The sociological and methodological training I got in the department opened up brand new ways for me to explore the ways families protect against and contribute to inequality. I am especially grateful for the opportunity to work with Melissa Milkie in studying culture using content analyses and collaborating with Liana Sayer analyzing time diary data. I also benefitted from Philip Cohen's generous time and expertise, who spent many hours brainstorming with me, reading drafts of my dissertation along the way, and providing a road map to doing sociology in a way that makes a public impact.