Dr. Stephanie Baran is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Xavier University of Louisiana whose research examines the intersections of race, gender, poverty, and inequality in contemporary U.S. society. She earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where her dissertation was published as Food Insecurity in an American City: Intersections of Race, Gender and Precarity (Lexington Books, 2022). Her work centers on anti-racism, white supremacy, policing, and food insecurity, using feminist, Marxist, and intersectional frameworks to analyze structural inequality.

Dr. Baran’s scholarship appears in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes and addresses topics such as policing poverty, welfare discourse, visual patriarchy, and food justice. In addition to academic publishing, she is committed to public sociology and has collaborated with community and government partners while contributing to public conversations about inequality and social justice.

An award-winning educator, Dr. Baran has taught a wide range of courses in sociology, criminology, gender studies, and LGBTQ+ studies. Her teaching emphasizes critical thinking, accessibility, and student-centered learning. She remains active in professional service through national and regional sociological associations, supporting research, mentorship, and public engagement.