Meet our current postdoctoral fellows and scholar-activists in residence.
Learn all about ERI’s Postdoctoral Fellowships, the Turpanjian Scholar-Activist in Residence, and how to apply.
Dr. Leah E. Gose
Dr. Leah E. Gose is ERI’s Turpanjian Chair in Civil Society and Social Change Postdoctoral Fellow for the 2023 – 2024 academic year. She completed her PhD in sociology at Harvard University in 2023. Her primary research interests center on the role of community organizations as vital aspects of the social safety net, in how they shape access to resources for individuals, opportunities to build social networks and promote civic engagement, and respond to governmental policy and funding influences. Dr. Gose’ scholarship contributes primarily to the study of organizations and inequality/poverty, but also engages with urban sociology, political sociology, social policy, and social networks.
Dr. Ezinne Nwankwo
Dr. Ezinne Nwankwo is ERI’s National Equity Atlas Postdoctoral Fellow. She is a recent graduate of UCLA with her doctorate in Community Health Sciences. Ezinne’s research interests center on the migration and immigrant experiences of black and African populations. In the U.S., this group of immigrants is seldom the focus of public health research, and their immigrant experience is rarely the center of public debate. Ezinne believes that her research will shed light on the challenges that immigrants face to integrating into U.S. society, and the impact that these barriers have on health and well-being. She expects that this research will help to identify opportunities for effective immigrant integration policies and programs.
Dr. Bita Minaravesh
Dr. Bita Minaravesh (she/her) is a Postdoctoral Scholar at USC’s Equity Research Institute and Lecturer in the Spatial Sciences Institute in the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences at the University of Southern California (USC). In her post-doctoral research, she is exploring the state of environmental and economic equity across California through a lens of intersectionality to promote every child’s opportunity to realize their universal right to self-determination. She employs a spatial perspective to expose the inequitable factors influencing both a child’s trajectory in the short term and a community’s opportunity for growth over generations.
Dr. Sean Angst
Dr. Sean Angst (he/him) earned a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management from the University of Southern California. His research focuses on housing, community development, and racial justice. Dr. Angst recently completed his dissertation on housing affordability and neighborhood change in South Los Angeles, which examined the impacts of those processes on survival and stress. During his time at USC, Sean also served on the school’s Teaching Excellence Committee and as an organizer among graduate student workers. In these roles, he fought for policies that prioritize student voice, belonging, and accountability.
Turpanjian Chair in Civil Society and Social Change Postdoctoral Fellowship
The Postdoctoral fellowship is an independent research opportunity to deepen knowledge of the ways civil society institutions and grassroots actors are transforming the economic and social landscape of the 21st Century. In addition, the postdoctoral fellow will be expected to:
Contribute to cross-campus collaborations; conceptualize and plan activities (such as workshops or a symposium) that will engage the campus community on issues of civil society and social change; and teach one course in the Department of Sociology.
The fellowship offers a competitive salary and benefits. The fellow must have completed all requirements for their doctorate degree by mid-August. Graduating doctoral students and pre-tenure professors with a doctorate in a social science discipline may apply. Scholars working across disciplines are encouraged to apply.
For more information, please contact Dr. Kim Tabari at tabari@usc.edu.
Previous Turpanjian Fellows
Apply: Turpanjian Scholar-Activist in Residence Program
As part of the Turpanjiian Chair commitment to community-engaged research, the USC Equity Research Institute will collaborate with activists on their work, merging research, policy and organizing for social justice.
The Scholar-Activist in Residence Program is an opportunity for ERI to host a movement activist/leader for approximately one month, to work with faculty to create opportunities for social movement research. We hope the SARs will deepen the university’s engagement with community-based organizations and leaders, and vice versa. Overall, we expect this will be an excellent chance for social movement leaders and faculty to collaborate and advance research in their field(s). See below for past scholars-activist in residence. For more information on the application process, please contact Dr. Kim Tabari at tabari@usc.edu
HOW TO APPLY:
Rolling application process. Please upload information and complete this form: ERI Turpanjian Scholar-Activist in Residence Program
