Mariam Ashtiani, Ph.D

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY

BIOGRAPHY

Mariam Ashtiani received her doctorate from the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Irvine. Her teaching and scholarly interests include racial inequality, criminology, poverty, education and immigration.

Dr. Ashtiani’s research examines the barriers disadvantaged and marginalized youth face in their pathways to educational and labor market success. Her prior work examines how juvenile drug arrests derail the educational and labor market trajectories of Black, Latino, and White youth differently. Her current project builds on this by examining racial differences in the impact of juvenile arrest on adult crime and criminal justice involvement. Her other research focuses on maximizing opportunities for educational and labor-market success among low-income youth.

Her inspiration as an educator stems from a commitment to empower students with the knowledge and ability to critically question the social inequalities in their world, and to foster within them a deep sense of social responsibility and social justice.

PUBLICATIONS

Ashtiani, Mariam. 2021. "The Racially Disparate Effects of Drug Arrest on High School Dropout." Socius, 7,  doi.org/10.1177/23780231211027097   .

Ashtiani, Mariam and Cynthia Feliciano. 2018. “Access and Mobilization: How Social Capital Relates to Low-Income Youth’s Postsecondary Educational Attainment.” Youth & Society 50(4), 439-461.

Ashtiani, Mariam, Edelina Burciaga and Cynthia Feliciano. 2013. “Labor Market Outcomes and the Postsecondary Educational Attainment of Low-Income Youth.” Los Angeles, CA: UC ACCORD Pathways to Postsecondary Success: Maximizing Opportunities for Youth in Poverty, October.

Feliciano, Cynthia and Mariam Ashtiani. 2012. “How Low-Income Origins Affect Postsecondary Entry and Degree Completion”  International Journal of Sociology of Education. 1(2): 123-156.

Ashtiani, Mariam and Cynthia Feliciano. 2012. “Mentorship and the Postsecondary Educational Attainment of Low-Income Youth.” Los Angeles, CA: UC ACCORD Pathways to Postsecondary Success: Maximizing Opportunities for Youth in Poverty, October.

Feliciano, Cynthia and Mariam Ashtiani. 2012. “Postsecondary Educational Pathways of Low-Income Youth: An Analysis of Add Health Data.” Los Angeles, CA: UC ACCORD Pathways to Postsecondary Success: Maximizing Opportunities for Youth in Poverty, May.

Ashtiani, Mariam and Cynthia Feliciano. 2012. “Low-Income Young Adults Continue to Face Barriers to College Entry and Degree Completion.” Los Angeles, CA: UC ACCORD Pathways to Postsecondary Success: Maximizing Opportunities for Youth in Poverty, January.