Hi, my name is Kimberly Hess and I am a PhD candidate in sociology at University of Michigan.

I use comparative-historical methods to study the culture and politics of inclusion and exclusion within states and nations. My disseration considers how social, historical, and regional context affect what is included in contemporary US social studies education and how differences in these inclusions relate to different narratives of American history and national identity.

I have been the lead instructor for Intro to Sociological Theory (Soc305), Sociological Research Methods (Soc310), Sociology Graduate Student Instructor Training (Soc993), and a first-year writing course, Defining Nations and Nationalism (Eng125).

Within the Sociology Department, I have served as the Graduate Student Mentor, an Online Course Consultant, an Anti-racist Pedagogy Course Consultant, a Graduate School and Beyond Series Co-Chair, and the Social Theory Workshop Graduate Coordinator. In recognition of my contributions to the department community, I won the Sociology Graduate Student (SGS) Graduate Student Recognition Award in 2021.

My interests include: political sociology, cultural sociology, nations and nationalism, boundary-making and inclusion; sociological theory; research methods; comparative-historical methods.

Feel free to reach out to hear more about my research. Follow me on Twitter and add me on LinkedIn.