Sarah Brothers, assistant professor of sociology and public policy at Pennsylvania State University, is one of two recipients of the inaugural Early Career Award for Community-Engaged Scholarship from the American Sociological Association. The award honors Dr. Brothers for her transformative work in drug policy and the development of non-extractive research methodologies that center the expertise of marginalized populations.
At Penn State, Dr. Brothers is affiliated with four research consortiums: the Rock Ethics Institute, the Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction, the Social Science Research Institute, and the Population Research Institute. In her research, she examines how vulnerable groups experience and respond to health-related issues. She conducts surveys, in-depth interviews, ethnographic observations, and community-based participatory research to focus on topics including methadone treatment during COVID-19, issues facing youth experiencing homelessness, and patient perspectives on HIV and hepatitis C treatment.
After beginning her education at the City College of San Francisco, Dr. Brothers received her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in sociology from Yale University.


