Biography

Sandra Hanson’s research examines the gender structure of educational and occupational systems in a comparative context. Her recent books The Latino American Dream (Texas A&M Press, 2016) and The American Dream in the 21st Century (Temple University Press, 2011), edited with John White from the CUA politics department, examine the American dream within cultural, historical, political, sociological, and religious perspectives. In Swimming Against the Tide: African American Girls in Science Education (Temple University Press, 2009), she examined the experiences of African American girls in the science education system. Hanson's book Lost Talent: Women in the Sciences (Temple University Press, 1996) was a culmination of her research on the loss of talented young women in the science pipeline.

Professor Hanson’s research has been published in numerous journals including Sociology of Education, Public Opinion Quarterly, Demography, Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, and Journal of Marriage and Family Studies. In 1997, Hanson received a Fulbright award for teaching and research at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow Poland. Her second Fulbright award involved an exchange with Leipzig University in 2012. In 2018 Sandra was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow Poland and in 2019 she was awarded a 5-year Fulbright Scholar position. 

Latest Publications

Sandra L. Hanson, Michelle Kelso, and Steven A. Tuch “A Comparative Analysis of Gender and Public Opinion on Democracy in Poland, Romania, and the United States, 1995-2020.” International Journal of Social Science Studies 12(1):28-44 (2024).

Hanson, Sandra L. and Enrique Pumar (co-editors) Special Edition of Journal of Sustainability (14): “Moving toward Sustainability: Rethinking Gender Structures in Education and Occupation Systems.” (2022).

Hanson, Sandra L. and Malgorzata Krywult-Albanska “Access to STEM for Women in Poland and the U.S.” International Journal of Science Education 42 (6) (2020).

Hanson, Sandra L. and John K. White. “Nation Dreaming: A Consideration of the American Dream in Poland, the U.S., and among Polish Americans.” International Journal of Social Science Studies (4) (June  2020). 

Hanson, Sandra L. and Steve A. Tuch. “A Cross-Time Comparison of Men and Women’s Public Opinion on Freedom, Liberty, and Democracy in Poland and the U.S. Czas Kultury 3:20-34 (2019). 

Hanson, Sandra L. “STEM Experiences among Latinos and Asian Americans in the U.S.: Generational Change.” Asian Journal of Humanities and the Social Science 6 (4) (August 2018). 

Hanson, Sandra L. Mary Sykes and Louis Berneth-Pena. “Gender Equity in Science: The Global Context”, International Journal of Social Sciences 6:1 (2017)

Hanson, Sandra L. “Trends in U.S. Voting Attitudes with a consideration of Variation by Gender and Race/Ethnicity.” Open Journal of Political Science 6(4):454-465 (2016).

Hanson, Sandra L. and Yu Tao (co-authors). ‘Engineering the Future: African Americans in Doctoral Engineering Programs.” Pp 57-87 in J. Slaughter, Y. Tao, and W. Pearson Jr, Changing the Face of Engineering. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press (2015). 

Hanson, Sandra L. “Race, Sex, and Perceptions of Asian Americans in Science: Insights from a Survey on Science Experiences of Young Asian Americans.” Race, Gender, and Class 21: 288311 (2014). 

Hanson, Sandra L. “STEM Degrees and Occupations among Latinos: An Examination of Racial/Ethnic and Gender Variation.” Race, Gender and Class 20 (1-2): 214-31 (2013). 

Hanson, Sandra L. and Emily Gilbert. “Family, Gender, and Science Experiences: The Perspective of Young Asian Americans.” Race, Gender and Class 19 (3-4): 326-347 (2012). 

Hanson, Sandra L. ‘Science for All? The Intersection of Gender, Race, and Science.” International Journal of Science in Society 3(2): 113-36. (2012). 

Hanson, Sandra L. and John Zogby. The Polls-Trends: Attitudes about the American Dream. Public Opinion Quarterly 74: 551-584. (2010). 

Hanson, Sandra L. and Fang Fang. “Race, Sex and Job Satisfaction in Science Occupations: A focus on Asian Americans.” Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering 15 (4): 357-77. (2009). 

Hanson, Sandra L. and Yu Meng. “Science Gains and Degrees Among Asian-American Students: Influence of Race and Sex” in Annuals of Research for Engineering Education. Spring/Summer 2009 (www.areeonline.org). (2009). 

Hanson, Sandra L. and Yu Meng. “Science Majors and Degrees among Asian-American Students: Influences of Race and Sex in “Model Minority” Experiences. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering 14: 225-52. (2008). 

Hanson, Sandra L. Success in Science among Young African American Women: The Role of Minority Families. Journal of Family Issues 28 (1): 3-33. (2007). 

Hanson, Sandra L., Ivy Kennelly, and Stephan Fuchs. “Perceptions about Fairness: Gender, and Attitudes about Opportunity among Scientists in Germany and the U.S.” Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering 13: 231-58. (2007). 

Hanson Sandra L. “Young Women, Sports and Science.” Theory and Practice. 46 (2): 155161. (2007).

Hanson, Sandra L. “Success in Science among Young African American Women: The Role of Minority Families.” Journal of Family Issues 28(1): 3-33. (2006).

Hanson, Sandra L. 2006. “Insights from Vignettes: African American Woman’s Perceptions of Discrimination in the Science Classroom.” Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering 12(1): 11-34. (2006).

Hanson, Sandra L. “African American Women in Science: Experiences from High School through the Post-Secondary Years and Beyond” in J.M. Bystydzienski & S.R. Bird (Eds). Removing Barriers: Women in Academic Science, Technology and Mathematics. Bloomington: Indiana University Press (2006).

Hanson, Sandra L. and Giang Wells-Dang. “Gender and Attitudes about Opportunity in Eastern and Western Europe.” European Sociological Review 22 (1): 17-34 (2006).

Hanson, Sandra L. “Hidden Dragons: Asian American Women in Sport.” Journal of Sport and Social Issues 29: 279-312. (2005).

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