Faculty Excellence
- 2013. Outstanding Author Contribution Award, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, for “Racial Residential Segregation and Access to Health Care Coverage: A Multilevel Analysis,” co-authored with Andrew S. Fullerton.
- 2016. Honorable Mention for Outstanding Publication Award, Southwestern Sociological Association, for “Legalizing LGBT Families: How the Law Shapes Parenthood.”
- 2010. Distinguished Paper Award, Southwestern Sociological Association, for “Legislating the Family,” coauthored with D’Lane R. Compton.
- 2007. Public Policy Fellowship, The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law.
- 2019. Teaching Excellence Award for Instructional or Clinical Faculty, University of Houston.
- 2023. Best Paper Award Shortlist, Journal of Professions and Organization Conference, for “What drives organizational missions in the nonprofit sector? An Institutional logic dependence perspective,” co-authored with Young-joo Lee.
- 2022. Best Paper Award, Midwest Academy of Management Annual Conference, for “The Antecedents of Institutional Conformity: The Case of the Local United Way Affiliates and their Response to Field Change Efforts,” co-authored with Laurie E. Paarlberg, Megan LePere-Schloop, and Wenpei You.
- 2021. Emerging Scholar Award, ARNOVA.
- 2019. The Ruth C. Schaffer Award, Department of Sociology, Texas A&M University, for “How does community philanthropy function: Direct effects of social problems and the moderating role of community racial diversity,” co-authored with Tiffany Amorette Young.
- 2019. Doctoral Fellowship Award, ARNOVA.
- 2016. STARS Award, College of Liberal Arts, Texas A&M University.
- 2014. Brown Foundation Fellow, Dora Maar House, Menerbes, France.
- 2007. Ross M. Lence Teaching Excellence Award, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, University of Houston.
- 2006. Finalist, Teaching Excellence Award in Tenure/Tenure Track, University of Houston.
- 2006. Finalist, Teaching Excellence Award in Innovative Teaching, University of Houston.
- 2004. Research Fellowship, Friends of Women Studies, University of Houston.
- 2020. Teaching Excellence Award, University of Houston.
- 2012. Summer Writing Fellowship, Research Committee on Academic Personnel, Sonoma State University.
- 2009. Summer Writing Fellowship, Research Committee on Academic Personnel, Sonoma State University.
- 2017. Outstanding Women Honoree, Education, Houston YWCA (May 4, 2017)
- 2013. University Commission on Women, Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award (Pre-Tenure Category)
- 2012. University of Houston Provost’s Teaching Excellence Award
- 2012. College of Liberal Arts and Social Science’s Ross M. Lence Teaching Excellence Award
- 2011. Best Publication Award, American Sociological Association (ASA) Section on the Body and Embodiment
- 2008. Favorite Faculty Award, Newcomb College Institute.
- 2000. The Robert F. Winch Memorial Award, Northwestern University.
- 1998. Council for Independent Colleges Fellowship, Northwestern University.
- 2010. Postdoctoral Fellowship on the Health of Older Minorities, Sealy Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch.
- 2008. Postdoctoral Fellowship on Aging and the Life Course, Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- 2008. Gordon D. and Izola P. Morgan Fellowship, Department of Sociology, Washington State University.
- 2006. Gordon D. and Izola P. Morgan Fellowship, Department of Sociology, Washington State University.
- 2005. James F. Short Jr. Award, Department of Sociology, Washington State University.
- 2019. Lodieska Stockbridge Vaughn Fellowship, Rice University.
- 2014. Research Fellowship, The Center for Mexican American Studies, University of Houston.
- 2014. Fellow, Center for Ideas and Society, UC Riverside
- 2012. ASA Section for Mathematical Sociology Best Graduate Student Paper Award for “Predicting Social Influence: A Model at the Intersection of Sociology and Psychology” (with David Melamed)