Cecilia Menjívar, a UCLA professor of sociology, has received the Jessie Bernard Award and the Public Understanding of Sociology Award from the American Sociological Association. Both awards were given to Menjívar earlier this month during the association’s annual meeting.
The Jessie Bernard Award recognizes scholars who have performed inclusive research, mentorship and service, expanded the scope of sociology, and made a broad feminist impact. The Public Understanding of Sociology Award is presented to academics who have aided the general public in understanding sociological scholarship through activities such as public engagement and policy contribution.
“I happen to do work on topics that remain relevant and in the radar of public discussions and scholarly attention — immigration laws and effects on immigrants, gender-based violence, violence as a driver for migration, autocracies and undemocratic regimes,” said Menjívar, the Dorothy L. Meier Professor of Social Equities. “So pretty much everything I do, I think, has relevance today.”
Menjívar’s research also focuses on the structural roots of inequality for immigrants and violence, particularly against women. A faculty member since 2018, her work includes the award-winning publication, “Fragmented Ties: Salvadoran Immigrant Networks in America” and a co-authored amicus brief on immigration for the Supreme Court.
