Ph.D. 2000, Sociology, University of Akron
Nichols is an applied sociologist who works to make social science research useful to organizations and policy-makers. Her recent research projects focus on reducing inequality in the education system, the experiences of first-generation college students, and participatory program planning and evaluation.
Laura Nichols joined the Department of Sociology in 2000. At Santa Clara she teaches Applied Sociology; Sociology of Education; Introduction to Research Methods & Design; Community-Based Participatory Research; Research Capstone; Qualitative Sociology; and Self, Community, and Society. She loves connecting lessons from our local communities to the classroom and engaging students in learning more about themselves and others using our collective “sociological imagination”.
Laura grew up in the country east of Waterford, California, in the Central Valley. She graduated from SCU in 1990. She enjoys hiking, meditating, enjoying family and friends, and exploring the many foods and communities in the bay area.