ERIN PRANGLEY (B.A. Sociology, 1992), Director of Policy, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
What are you doing now, and what does your work involve?
I am a federal lobbyist advocating on behalf of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. My work focuses on securing basic civil rights, access to health care, and the opportunity to live and participate fully in their communities.
Much of my work is about influencing federal policy and, ultimately, changing systems that can create barriers for people with disabilities. I rely heavily on the network of government professionals, policymakers, advocates, and allies I have cultivated throughout my career to educate decision-makers, build coalitions, and influence national policy.
In many ways, it brings together everything I learned at USC: understanding how systems affect people’s lives, recognizing inequality, bringing people with very different perspectives together, and using government as a tool to create meaningful change.
How did your career path unfold after USC?
My career path after USC was shaped by an experience that changed my understanding of the place I had always called home.
I grew up at USC. My dad arrived at USC in 1969, just after the Watts riots, and went on to earn three degrees from the university. My mom worked in student housing for more than 20 years. I was brought home to university housing and my childhood was immersed in the life of the university. Many of my closest friends were children of international students who lived in student housing. We went to the museums at Exposition Park almost every week, went to football games, and grew up surrounded by the vibrant, eclectic energy of a 1970s college campus, the music, the ideas, and the unmistakable hippie spirit of the time. USC wasn’t simply where my family lived and studied; it was home.
After a brief time away, I returned to USC to earn my sociology degree. But the day before my senior finals, everything I thought I knew about my home changed. Following the acquittal of the officers involved in the beating of Rodney King, unrest erupted across Los Angeles. I was just blocks from where Reginald Denny was beaten and across the street from buildings engulfed in flames.
Experiencing that upheaval in a place I had always known as a community of friendship, learning, and opportunity forced me to think differently about inequality, institutions, and the systems that shape people’s lives. It was also striking that my dad had arrived at USC more than two decades earlier, just after another period of civil unrest in Los Angeles.
A week later, one of my professors challenged me to consider law school or graduate school so that I could work toward systemic change. I chose law school and attended American University in Washington, D.C., because I wanted to be close to where laws and policies are made and ultimately to have an impact on the systems that can either create opportunity or contribute to societal unrest. That decision set the course for my career in government and public policy.
What accomplishment or project are you especially proud of?
I am especially proud of the systems change I have helped bring about throughout my career. Whether advocating for stronger federal regulations to strengthen Title IX and create safer learning environments for all students, regardless of gender, during my time at American Association of University Women, or securing significant federal funding for State Councils on Developmental Disabilities to help people remain in their homes and communities rather than being forced into institutions, I have found my sweet spot: using the considerable power of the federal government to make meaningful, lasting change.
What makes me most proud is knowing that good policy can improve lives far beyond the individuals directly affected. Strong civil rights protections, access to health care, and the ability to live in the community benefit all of society.
Looking back, how did your sociology education at USC help prepare you for your career?
My sociology education at USC gave me a framework for understanding how deeply social forces and institutions shape people’s lives and, in turn, how government can either reinforce inequality or help address it. Studying the ideas of thought leaders throughout history and identifying patterns of social behavior helped me understand the systems that influence our society and the importance of social science in shaping public policy. It also taught me that our American democracy is both precious and precarious, and that it calls on all of us to be active participants in its success.
Perhaps most importantly, sociology taught me that getting people to work together is some of the hardest and most important work we do. We all come to the table with different backgrounds, identities, experiences, and beliefs. Understanding those differences while finding common ground is essential to protecting the democracy we have created and making meaningful progress for future generations.
My education also taught me that we have to be willing to identify and name inequality before we can address it. That perspective has been foundational throughout my career in government and public policy. It has helped me see not only how individuals are affected by policy, but also how good policy can benefit society as a whole and has reinforced my belief that government can be a powerful force for positive change.
What advice would you give current USC Sociology students?
Use every resource at your disposal while you are at USC. Get to know your professors, they are incredible resources who can help you discover your strengths and open pathways you may never have imagined. Trust them. One of my professors did exactly that for me, and it changed the course of my life.
Travel abroad through USC. Experience other cultures and ways of life. Learn what makes our country so remarkable, but also understand why we have a responsibility to work to maintain and strengthen it.
And recognize the privilege of being a USC student. Use that privilege to make the world a better place. Your education is not just an opportunity to build a career; it is an opportunity to understand the world, engage with it, and leave it better than you found it.
What’s next for you professionally?
Federal policy is my sweet spot and, after more than 25 years in this work, it feels like my forever home. I love the challenge of bringing people together, navigating complex systems, and finding opportunities to turn good ideas into meaningful policy change.
At this point in my career, I feel confident in the work I do and deeply grateful for the opportunity to make a difference. What excites me most about what comes next is sharing what I have learned. I want to help build pathways for the next generation of lobbyists, advocates, and activists to give them the relationships, knowledge, and confidence to make their own mark on the systems that shape our society.
I have spent my career trying to make government work better for people. I hope the next chapter is about helping others find their place in that work, too.
Is there a USC Sociology experience, course, or faculty member that had a lasting impact on you?
Ed Ransford had a profound and lasting impact on my life. He changed the trajectory of my career. During my senior year, as I was trying to make sense of everything I had experienced during the Los Angeles unrest, Professor Ransford challenged me to think beyond simply understanding the problems around me. He encouraged me to consider law school and use that path to work toward systemic change.
I took his advice and went to American University because I wanted to be close to where laws and policies are made. More than 25 years later, I am still doing that work as a federal lobbyist.
It is hard to overstate the impact a professor can have on a student. Professor Ransfored saw a path for me that I hadn’t yet seen for myself and gave me the confidence to pursue it. I am incredibly grateful that he did.