"Now a 5th year doctoral candidate in Sociology and Public Policy, Kennedy’s research focus is trying to understand the social mobility for black Americans, specifically how black Americans get into and stay in middle class. She explains, “I’m interested in learning how black Americans, specifically black college students, see racial identity and class identity, and how that affects how they think about social mobility. I’m still developing the overall argument of my dissertation. We know that college students come from a variety of class backgrounds, and I think about how those class backgrounds affect you and how you go forward in terms of racial identity development when you get to the university setting."

Go to Rackham's Website to read the rest of Kennedy's story and learn more about her dissertation work and experience in graduate school.