Rebecca A. London

Rebecca A. London is a professor in the Sociology Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). She is the founding faculty director of Campus + Community, a center supporting community-engaged research across UCSC and its surrounding communities. A community-engaged researcher, her work is designed to be actionable for community partners while contributing to academic scholarship. London is a member of the national planning team for the Urban Research-Based Action Network (URBAN) and she chairs the Sociology Action Network, a committee of the American Sociological Association. Her research focuses on the challenges faced by disadvantaged children and youth and the ways communities and organizations support their well-being and success. She has conducted research in K–12 and postsecondary education, health and wellness, afterschool programs, welfare reform, the digital divide, and children's living arrangements. During the pandemic, she co-founded the Global Recess Alliance to advocate for children’s needs. London earned her BA in economics from the University of Michigan and her MA and PhD in human development and social policy from Northwestern University.

updated 2025