Loren Beard, PhD, LSW

Loren examines how social institutions organize care: who receives it, how it is provided, and when it is withdrawn. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, they analyze how these institutional arrangements shape the capacity to give and receive care across the life course.

Their work is published in Social Science & Medicine, Sociological Forum, Children & Youth Services Review, and more. They have received awards and external funding from the American Sociological Association, Society for the Study of Social Problems, Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy, and AHRQ T32 Health Services Research Fellowship.

Their public work is featured in outlets like NPR, Scholars Strategy Network, and South Side Weekly; they also support equity in higher education as an alum of QuestBridge, a scholarship organization for low-income students.

They hold a PhD in Sociology (University of Chicago), an MSW in Social Work (University of Missouri), and a BA in Neuroscience and Global Studies (University of Pennsylvania).