Kimya Loder
Kimya Loder is a sociology PhD candidate interested in understanding how highly stigmatized groups build political power. She links models of organizational behavior to the theories of race, gender, and sexuality-based inequality offered by feminist and race scholars to examine the hierarchies that emerge as differently advantaged organizations compete for power, status, and resources. Her dissertation work is an ethnographic study of Black transgender-led organizations in the U.S. South.
At Stanford, Kimya has received fellowships through the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, McCoy Center for Ethics in Society, Haas Center for Public Service, Center for Philanthropy and Civil Society, and Vice Provost for Graduate Education.
Kimya holds an M. A. in Sociology from Stanford University and B.A. in Sociology and B.A. International Studies from the historic Spelman College where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program. She is motivated by the legacy of deeply rooted activism her hometown of Birmingham, AL. Kimya has also found joy in building community among students on campus through her work with the Black Studies Collective Research Group, Black Community Services Center, and the Black Graduate Student Association. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, gardening, and designing digital content.