Maxwell School sociologist Prema Kurien has been recognized as a Daicoff Faculty Scholar. The distinction honors her achievements in research, scholarship and service.

Kurien, professor of sociology, joined Maxwell in 2003. She is a former chair of the Sociology Department and recently served as director of the South Asia Center. She is the founding director of the Asian/Asian American studies program, and a senior research associate for the Center for Qualitative and Multi-Method Inquiry and the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration.

Kurien’s research examines the impact of race and religion on socio-political structures and cultures in North America. Her recent projects explore how immigrants and their families influence and engage in civic and political activities within their communities.

She has authored three books and has another forthcoming this fall. She has penned over 60 other publications covering religion, culture and migration with a focus on South Asia. Her work has earned three national book awards, five national article awards, and the Sandra Barnes Anti-Racist Scholarship Award from the Sociology of Religion section of the American Sociological Association (ASA) in 2023. The ASA’s Asian and Asian America section previously honored her with a Contribution to the Field Award. In addition, she has received several postdoctoral fellowships and grants from prestigious organizations, including the National Science Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation, the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington D.C., and the Center for the Study of Religion at Princeton University. 

Kurien succeeds Junko Takeda, professor of history, who was named the inaugural Daicoff Scholar in 2019. The designation was created with a gift from alumna Cathy Daicoff ’79 M.P.A. in support of faculty excellence based on academic research and teaching merit.

Daicoff is a retired managing director at Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, where, over a long career, she focused on Asia-Pacific markets, U.S. domestic operations, Canada and Latin America, among other globally focused positions. She is a long-time member and current vice chair of the Maxwell Advisory Board and was recently honored with the Maxwell Centennial Steward Award for her volunteer contributions and generosity.

“I’m delighted that Professor Kurien will serve as the second Daicoff Scholar,” says Dean David M. Van Slyke. “She excels in her research and teaching and has been an involved citizen of the Maxwell School, the very qualities that Cathy wanted to see faculty recognized for. I’m grateful to Cathy for this support which enables us to formally recognize outstanding faculty.”

By Mikayla Melo