Dr Sonia Giebel

Dr. Sonia Giebel is a postdoctoral researcher in the Global Sociology division of the Social Science Center Berlin (WZB). As the Dahrendorf Postdoctoral Fellow, Sonia is visiting the European Studies Centre for the 2025 Hilary and Trinity terms. A sociologist of education, Sonia investigates the contours of “diversity” in global higher education: to whom it refers, how it is represented by universities and understood by individuals, and how it differs across national contexts. She is currently at work on a comparative study investigating how German, British, American, and Indian universities variably define and justify diversity and inclusion efforts, as well as how university leaders navigate increasing backlash against diversity initiatives. Her work has been published in a variety of academic journals, including Sociology of Education, Science Advances, PNAS Nexus, and AERA Open. Her first book, under contract with the University of Chicago Press, portrays how multiracial college applicants and their families discern the boundaries of race-based affirmative action and present themselves for admissions in the United States. She received her PhD and MA from Stanford University, and her BA from Haverford College.