Tony N. Brown
Professor of Sociology
Director, Racism and Racial Experiences Workgroup
Website
As a critical race theorist, I investigate how racism works, from the womb to the tomb, to disadvantage blacks and privilege whites. Mechanisms of racism include interactions across interpersonal, institutional, and cultural levels, implicating the mundane and extraordinary in the maintenance of white supremacy. In my quantitative research, I avoid attempting to explain away the race coefficient, instead highlighting heterogeneity within black populations thereby demonstrating that race is socially constructed and represents shared experiences, attitudes, and beliefs. Using survey data from community-based samples, I am currently examining the mental health significance of racial discrimination, the social construction of race in Brazil, race socialization during childhood, the epidemiology of racial trauma, the psychological wages of whiteness, and culturally-specific conceptualizations of mental health. I have secured funding from various federal agencies to support my program for research.
I earned my Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and completed postdoctoral training at Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. Before joining Rice University in 2016, I was tenured in the sociology department at Vanderbilt University. While there, I co-edited the American Sociological Review, served as the inaugural Faculty Head of Hank Ingram House in the Martha Rivers Ingram Commons, and held appointments in numerous departments and programs across the main and medical campuses.
Jing Chen
Associate Professor
Department of Psychological Sciences
Ken Kennedy Institute
Website
My research interests include investigating the fundamental principles of human performance and decision-making, with applications in human-automation interactions within critical application domains such as autonomous driving, cybersecurity, and healthcare. While using a range of research techniques and statistical methods in my research, I have also taught courses in research methods and statistics. I find great joy in helping students develop a strong foundation in these critical skills.
I received my M.S. in Industrial Engineering and Ph.D. in Psychology from Purdue University in 2015. I am a recipient of the Earl Alluisi Award for Early Career Achievement from the American Psychological Association, the Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science, and the George E. Briggs Dissertation Award from the American Psychological Association. I am a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and Psychonomic Society. My research has been supported by multiple interdisciplinary grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.