Joonghyun Kwak is a quantitatively oriented comparative sociologist with research interests in globalisation, sustainable development, and social inequality. His current work focuses on three areas: (1) the role of international student mobility in sustainable development; (2) social mobility and inequalities; and (3) the backlash against globalisation, including democratic backsliding, populism, and political distrust. Before joining Trinity, he earned a PhD in Sociology from the University of Connecticut in 2018 and worked as a postdoctoral researcher at The Ohio State University (2018–2020), the University of Essex (2020–2022), and the University of Oxford (2022–2025).
Larissa Meier is a lecturer in conflict sociology at Bielefeld University. Her research explores the causes and consequences of contemporary political conflicts, with a particular focus on social movements, political violence, and civil resistance. Larissa specializes in qualitative and mixed-methods research designs. She obtained her PhD in Political Science and Sociology from the Scuola Normale Superiore in Florence and completed her undergraduate studies at the Universities of Zurich and Hamburg. She has also worked for international organizations such as the OSCE in Serbia and UNDP in Kosovo. Her work has been published in Social Problems, Government & Opposition, and Perspectives on Politics, among others. She is currently working on a book manuscript on political activism in high-risk environments.
Dr. Kwak and Dr Meier will start as Assistant Professors in the Department in the coming 25/26 Academic Year and we look forward to welcoming them.