Kerrissey and Rhodes Receive 2025 Outstanding Research Award

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The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s Outstanding Research Award! This award, which includes a $1,000 prize and a plaque, recognizes distinguished achievement in scholarship and research by tenure-line faculty within the college. 

Jasmine Kerrissey
Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Labor Studies
Director, Labor Center

Professor Kerrissey is a nationally recognized labor sociologist whose research has profoundly shaped public and scholarly conversations on labor, inequality, and worker rights. Her 2023 co-authored book, Union Booms and Busts: The Ongoing Fight over the U.S. Labor Movement, earned the 2024 Distinguished Book Award from the American Sociological Association’s Labor Section and introduced a groundbreaking industry-level analysis of union strength from 1900 to 2015. The book has received extensive national media attention and sparked policy discussions around labor strategy.

Professor Kerrissey’s collaborative work on essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic was among the first to document widespread safety concerns and racial disparities in workplace protections. Her findings influenced public health policy, informed union advocacy, and were cited across major media platforms, including The Boston Globe, NPR, and USA Today. Her article on Black workers’ safety experiences won the 2023 Best Article Award from the United Association for Labor Education.

She also co-authored a 2024 report analyzing the tipped minimum wage in Massachusetts, which played a key role in shaping state-level policy debates and was even featured on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Across her projects, Kerrissey centers working-class voices, makes research accessible, and builds bridges between academia, media, and labor movements.

Her prolific and award-winning research has been published in top journals, guided state legislation, and set new standards for public sociology. Professor Kerrissey exemplifies the SBS commitment to impactful, engaged research.

Jesse Rhodes
Professor, Department of Political Science
Co-Director, UMass Amherst Poll

Professor Rhodes is a leading scholar of American politics whose research has shaped national understanding of race, gender, ideology, and democracy. Over the past five years, he has published 11 peer-reviewed articles, co-authored a major book, and produced influential public commentary, demonstrating a blend of scholarly depth and public engagement.

His recent work breaks new ground in examining racial attitudes, legal consciousness, and public opinion. His 2024 American Political Science Review article investigates how court rulings reshape LGBTQ+ media, while his Law & Society Review piece traces the strategic reframing of marriage equality. In other top journals, he explores how racial resentment influences public support for prosecuting January 6th insurrectionists, perceptions of guilt in racially charged trials, and opposition to D.C. statehood. His concept of "racial spillover" offers an innovative lens into contemporary polarization.

Rhodes also co-authored Hometown Inequality, a 2020 book revealing deep racial and class disparities in local political representation. It earned a 2021 Choice Outstanding Academic Title and continues to inform research and policy. Earlier, Ballot Blocked (2017) exposed systemic erosion of voting rights through administrative tactics, a topic central to today's democracy debates.

As Co-Director of the UMass Poll, Rhodes brings rigorous research to broad audiences, and his work is frequently cited in The Washington Post, The Conversation, and The Boston Globe. Despite serving as department chair during a challenging period, he maintained a prolific research output that bridges academia and civic life.

SBS is proud of the extraordinary research efforts put forth by Professors Kerrissey and Rhodes. The SBS Outstanding Research Award is presented annually to those who either self-nominate or are nominated by their peers. Please visit the SBS Faculty Awards page to learn about the complete award requirements and see a list of all past winners.