Brandon Alston

Sociologist | Professor | Researcher

Columbus, Ohio, United States

About

Brandon Alston is a Sociologist, who earned his PhD in Sociology at Northwestern University with graduate certificates in African American Studies and Teaching and Learning. His research examines how parallel surveillance mechanisms operate across policing, prisons, and parole programs. Brandon has been recognized as a National Academies of Science Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellow and an American Bar Foundation Doctoral Fellow. Brandon previously earned a Master of Science in Management from Wake Forest University, where he was a Corporate Fellow. In addition, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Religion (with distinction) from Haverford College, where he was a recipient of the Ira De Augustine Reid Scholarship. His research has received awards from regional and national professional associations, including the Midwest Sociological Society, the American Sociological Association, the American Bar Foundation, the American Society of Criminology, the Association of Black Sociologists, and the Society for the Study of Social Problems. The William T. Grant Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, and the Institute for Research on Poverty have supported his research. Committed to fostering justice in and outside of University settings, his professional experiences range from Case Management with people living with HIV/AIDS, Public Health research, and facilitating community engagement projects in Manchester, England, Dalun, Ghana, and Philadelphia.

Experience

  • Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University
    Jul 2023 - Present · 3 yrs 1 mo

  • ICICLE Educational Fellow at Indiana University Bloomington
    Jun 2023 - Jun 2024 · 1 yr 1 mo

  • Doctoral Fellow at American Bar Foundation
    Sep 2021 - Aug 2023 · 2 yrs

  • Social Scientist in Residence at Dominican University
    Nov 2020 - May 2023 · 2 yrs 7 mos

    • Developed career resources presentations, workshops, and online videos, related to job and internship searches • Instructed students to leverage social science backgrounds into business, social services, and public affairs roles • Trained students to develop captivating essays and writing samples for graduate admissions and job searches

  • Doctoral Fellow at DePaul University
    Jan 2022 - Jun 2022 · 6 mos

    • Coordinated public health intervention to decrease gun violence within the Roseland neighborhood in Chicago • Pursued strategies to increase young black people’s voices about their experiences with gun violence