A Journey of Impact: A Sociologist at AU and Beyond

Kim Blankenship, PhD, was destined to be a pioneering force in sociology. A strong social consciousness compass was woven into her upbringing from an early age. From that foundation, her interest in solving health inequities took exciting form in graduate school. 

“I developed a strong interest in community-based research to bring about community change. My graduate training in sociology offered theory and conceptual frameworks for a ‘big picture’ systemic understanding of social problems,” Blankenship explains. “I applied that to my growing interest in analyzing health: addressing the systems and related policies that create health vulnerabilities for people.”

Today, Blankenship is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Sociology at AU, Founding Director of the Center on Health, Risk and Society, Associate Dean of Research in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Co-Director of the Developmental Core of the District of Columbia Center for AIDS Research (DC CFAR), the first multi-university research center to address HIV/AIDS in DC. Her research focuses on social determinants of health, with an emphasis on race, class and gender inequalities, particularly as embedded in the policies and practices of the criminal legal and housing systems.

HIV/AIDS has been the primary health focus of Blankenship’s groundbreaking work. She has identified and investigated the social systems that create vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and has worked to devise effective responses to address them. 

Blankenship’s impact goes beyond the expected. As an example, early in her career she focused on researching HIV related risks among users of the New Haven needle exchange program. In particular, she collaborated with female sex workers, many of whom used and appreciated the program but also indicated that policing practices affected both their use of the program and a range of other HIV risks. Together they brought this knowledge to police leadership and were invited to share it as part of a police training program for new recruits. 

It’s not the typical way of approaching these large-scale health challenges. Blankenship has blazed an extraordinary path working at the intersection of public health and sociology. “It’s exciting to be among those bringing attention to a more systemic approach to understanding and promoting public health.”

A Trailblazing Sociologist Finds a Home at AU 

Blankenship’s remarkable career led her to AU, a research and teaching community that aligns with her innovative spirit, quest for impact, and multi-disciplinary approach to solving societal challenges. 

“When I joined AU in 2010, the University was building its research profile. It was thrilling to be a part of something new and growing. Fifteen years later, there is a thriving, collaborative community of people focused on building and maintaining our impressive research capacity.”

Blankenship is envisioning a better world that promotes greater health equity through policies that promote systemic change. She is looking at ways to make what she and her colleagues have learned more publicly accessible. “People think if you focus on inequalities, only a few will benefit. That is a narrow view. We can all thrive in a world where no individual or group is oppressed. I hope that through my research and teaching, I am contributing to the creation of such a world.”

Integrating the Research Mindset into the Classroom at AU 

Blankenship believes research helps us ask the right questions and investigate answers. As a professor and researcher, she weaves that perspective into everything she does in the classroom. She challenges her students to consider the how and the why.

“People think research means a survey and collecting data,” she explains, “but any form of inquiry that helps us arrive at a new understanding about the world is research. No matter their future course of study or profession, students benefit from integrating the research mindset and rigor into their thinking.” 

AU provides fertile ground for students to be involved in research as undergraduates, through their coursework, or through independent work, which may not be accessible at large, elite research universities. “That is what’s special about AU,” Blankenship explains. “The students are engaged, the university is supportive, there is a culture of community building, and there is a shared emphasis on research, teaching, and real impact.”

For Blankenship, the ability to make an impact is grounded in following one’s passion. “I encourage my students to follow their passion and apply that to something they can do to make the world a better place. There are many ways to do this. The most impactful outcomes occur when you work on things that you love.” 

“A college education is supposed to open your mind, help you think critically, and see things in new ways,” she explains. “You don’t have to become a researcher to benefit from that. It’s about having the ability to think more broadly and understand how your actions impact others. To me, that is the philosophy at AU.”