Bio
Ashtan Grace Towles is a first-year doctoral student in the Department of Sociology. Her research focuses on economic sociology, poverty reduction, and community health. Specifically, she examines how localized systems of care help people reenter communities from jails and prisons as well as divert people away from arrest and incarceration. Past research projects have centered on human rights in prisons, hate violence prevention, community responder programs, and the intersection of legislative policies and communities of color. She is a recipient of Columbia’s Provost Diversity Fellowship as well as the Paul F. Lazarsfeld Fellowship.
Ashtan joined the Department of Sociology after graduating with distinction from the dual Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts program in Political Science at Yale University. After receiving her joint BA and MA in 2019, she spent time working in positions that allowed her to merge her interests, which included work as a Senior Project Analyst for the Council of State Governments Justice Center. Whenever she’s free, she enjoys singing worship music.