Department of Sociology

Year of Entry: 2026

Dina Paul (she/her) is a doctoral student in the Department of Sociology at Brown University. Her aim is to study the
relationship between education and socioeconomic status. More specifically, she is interested in how out-of-school factors
such as neighborhoods, families, and cultural norms affect economically disadvantaged students differently than students
with a wealth of resources. She is also interested in the impacts of capital on workforce outcomes for individuals as well
as issues impacting children and families more broadly. Her research methods of interest include both quantitative and
qualitative methods.

Prior to attending Brown, Dina graduated from the University of Notre Dame (Go Irish!) with a Bachelor of Arts in Political
Science. Afterwards, she worked in Washington, D.C. at a consulting and lobbying firm that specializes in federal
education and workforce policy. Dina’s goal is to bridge her policy passions with her sociological ones by studying the role
of policy in mitigating inequalities and increasing socioeconomic mobility.
Outside of school, Dina enjoys baking, listening to music, exploring new cities, and spending time with friends and family!