Prudence Carter
Brown University
Sarah and Joseph Dr. Dowling Professor

Year Elected
2014
Membership status
Regular
PRUDENCE L. CARTER is the Sarah and Joseph Jr. Dowling Professor of Sociology and the Peltz Ruttenberg Family Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity (CSREA) at Brown University. From 2016 to 2021, she served as the E.H. and Mary E. Pardee Professor and Dean of the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley.
A distinguished sociologist, Dr. Carter’s research focuses on the enduring inequalities in education and society, with an emphasis on identifying potential solutions. Her work explores disparities in academic achievement and social mobility shaped by race, ethnicity, class, and gender, both in the United States and globally.
Dr. Carter is the author of numerous publications in leading education and sociology journals, as well as several acclaimed books. These include the award-winning Keepin’ It Real: School Success beyond Black and White, Stubborn Roots: Race, Culture, and Inequality in U.S. & South African Schools, and Closing the Opportunity Gap: What America Must Do to Give Every Child an Even Chance, co-edited with Dr. Kevin Welner.
A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Carter is widely recognized for her contributions to understanding and addressing social and educational inequalities.