Born in Los Angeles but bred in Milwaukee, I am a dissertator in the Sociology department. My work focuses on how we conceive of, and attempt to control, “the obesity epidemic,” especially for children at public schools. To examine this, I’m conducting interviews at a major metropolitan school district to see just how ideas turn into policies, and how these policies affect children of different backgrounds. When I’m not working on my dissertation, I love to sing, and have done so professionally on and off since I was a teenager. I’m also an avid knitter, and will probably make you a hat and scarf if you ask nicely. My Swedish meatballs have won awards.
Department of Sociology
1180 Observatory Drive
Madison, WI 53706
abarian@ssc.wisc.edu
