News & Events

Senior Hayley Robertson presents and publishes research on “Social Inequalities in the Time of COVID-19”

Hayley Robertson, a graduating senior at the UNCG Sociology Department, presented a research paper titled “Social Inequalities in the Time of COVID-19” at the Undergraduate Honors Symposium. The paper is also accepted to be published in the third edition of Y Ddraig Goch: An Interdisciplinary Honors Journal.

Hayley Robertson is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she is majoring in Sociology and minoring in Psychology and Music. Hayley is earning Disciplinary Honors in Sociology at UNCG, and was awarded the Dean’s Summer Research Assistantship, which presented her with the opportunity to conduct her own research project. The research project analyzed how social inequalities are being exacerbated, due to a lack of resources being accessible to lower social groups. More particularly, the study analyzed healthcare, economic, and educational disparities occurring since March 2020, when the pandemic hit. Hayley Robertson conducted more than 100 surveys that included questions addressing basic demographic information, as well as questions on healthcare, education, and economic disparities. Hayley Robertson worked with different faculty throughout the process. Dr. Shelly Brown-Jeffy mentored Hayley from throughout her research, and Dr. Zachary Levenson guided her during the revising her paper.

Hayley emphasizes how her research has important implications for the society in general: “If we can understand what impacts COVID-19 has on these inequalities, we can begin to provide the correct resources needed to help those who are struggling. By providing proper aid, we might be able to reduce the amount of disparities faced by our society, and prevent this inequity from being amplified in future global crises.”

Congratulations to Hayley on this big accomplishment!