U-M Sociology’s Aya Waller-Bey was recently selected to be a part of the 2024-2025 Minority Fellowship Program by the American Sociological Association. With only six fellows in this year’s cohort, the MFP fellowship is both highly selective and distinguished—with former MFP fellows going on to become presidents of the American Sociological Association, esteemed faculty members, recognized scholars and educators, and prominent social scientists across various sectors. 

Waller-Bey’s research in "No More Trauma: Black Student Racialization in College Admissions" offers essential insights into the experiences of Black students navigating the college admissions landscape. This work, supported by interviews with students and admissions officers at various institutions, explores the intersectionality of institutional type, gender, and pre-college experiences. Aya’s work has been published in many notable publications, such as the Atlantic, Forbes, Contexts, and the Annual Review of Sociology. Moreover, she is also a Ford Foundation Predoctoral and Dissertation Fellowship awardee and recipient of the U-M National Center for Institutional Diversity Anti-Racism Summer Research Grant.

By providing support to over 500 students since its creation in 1974, the ASA Minority Fellowship Program has worked to ensure the field of sociology is filled with a myriad of perspectives, including social psychology, gender and sexuality, education, medicine and health, inequalities and stratification, race and ethnicity, and more. This fellowship seeks to support students in their journey to become top scholarly leaders who can address the challenges and complexities our society faces. 

We are ecstatic that ASA has recognized Waller-Bey’s commitment to examining the intersections of race, education, and equity. Aya joins U-M doctoral student DeAnna Smith (2023-24 cohort) and U-M alum Luis Flores, Jr. (2022-23 cohort) in receiving this prestigious fellowship. 

Congratulations to Aya Waller-Bey on earning this esteemed fellowship. We look forward to her continued scholarship and efforts to address contemporary societal issues.