Tess Pendergrast

About

Tess Pendergrast is a sociologist of inequality who studies civil and human rights, politics of economic development, and social movements. Her research on environmental justice movements in the Southeastern U.S. highlights ongoing struggles for local democracy. She also studies opportunities and barriers for postsecondary education for incarcerated populations. 

Tess was previously a Lecturer in the Department of Global Development. She is currently a Research Associate with the Cornell Prison Education Program (CPEP) and retains a faculty affiliation with Global Development. 

Tess holds an MS and PhD in Development Sociology from Cornell University and a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

Research focus

Tess’ research has addressed a variety of themes, including: socio-economic class and racial inequalities; conflicts regarding water, garbage, and development; civil rights movements; and incarceration. She uses mixed methods in sociology and prioritizes community-based participatory research (CBPR) designs. One current project she co-leads is a multi-year study on the impacts of college education in prison and outcomes of reentry initiatives. 

Teaching

Tess has taught courses on the politics of waste, the science of teaching and learning, international development, social movements, and more. She has designed classes through the John S. Knight Institute’s “Writing in the Majors” program. She has also been a regular instructor with the Cornell Prison Education Program since 2019. ​​​​​​​