Simone Ispa-Landa

Biography

Simone Ispa-Landa is associate professor of human development and social policy at Northwestern University. She also holds the position of associate professor of sociology in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and is a faculty fellow at Northwestern’s Institute for Policy Research.

Ispa-Landa’s publications cover topics of race and gender inequality and peer status hierarchies in educational settings. She employs qualitative methods to delve into the issues of isolation, exclusion, and violence in K-12 and higher education environments, exploring students’ and teachers’ lived experiences of social policies and potential avenues for change.

Her recent projects include partnership-oriented, engaged studies that focus on high school discipline and student attendance. Her projects have been funded by the Spencer Foundation, the William T. Grant Foundation, and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. 

Currently, Ispa-Landa is working on a book project that examines accountability policy, race, and gender inequality at a suburban high school. This book is under contract with the University of California Press. She was recently elected incoming chair of the Sociology of Education section of the American Sociological Association (ASA). In addition, she is a contributing member of several editorial boards, including Sociology of Education, Gender & Society, and AERA Open.

Awards and Honors

• 2022 – Mid-career Scholar, William T. Grant Institutional Challenge Grant
• 2018 – Northwestern University Women’s Center 30th Anniversary Gender Equity in Action Faculty Award
• 2018 – William T. Grant Scholar
• 2009 – Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship
• 2008 – National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Grant

Selected Publications