Ilana Horwitz
Doctoral Fellows Program Director
Ilana M. Horwitz (PhD, Stanford University) is an Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies and Sociology, and the Fields-Rayant Chair of Contemporary Jewish Life at the Stuart and Suzanne Grant Center for the American Jewish Experience at Tulane University. She is also the Program Director for the MCSJE Doctoral Fellows Program.
In her research, Dr. Horwitz takes a sociological approach to examine how people’s religious upbringing, race, ethnicity, social class, and gender shape their life course, especially their educational experiences.
Dr. Horwitz’s recent book, God, Grades, and Graduation: Religion’s Surprising Impact on Academic Success, introduces readers to the concept of religious restraint, a new type of childrearing logic that cuts across social class groups and accounts for the role of religion.
Dr. Horwitz earned her PhD in Sociology of Education & Jewish Studies from Stanford University. She also earned a Masters in International Education Development from Columbia University’s Teachers College, and a Bachelors in Business Administration from Emory University. She is a former Institute for Education Sciences fellow and Wexner/Davidson fellow, and worked for several years as a management consultant and program evaluator.