Rachel Nickens Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Sociology & Anthropology
About Rachel Nickens
Rachel Nickens is an Assistant Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
Drawing primarily on symbolic interactionist traditions, her work crosses the subfields of sociology of family, gender, culture, education, and childhood and adolescence. She is especially interested in extracurricular organizations, including parental decisions about extracurriculars, how young people experience these activities, and how organizations themselves shape possibilities. Her current research projects examine the gendered messages in scouting curriculum and the experiences of adolescent girls in Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America).
She is also a self-proclaimed “teaching nerd” and enjoys learning and teaching across the sociology curriculum, as well as collaborating with students on research projects.
Education
- Ph.D. in Sociology, University of California, Davis
- M.A. in Sociology, University of California, Davis
- M.A. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, University of Cincinnati
- B.A. in International Affairs and Interdisciplinary Humanities, Florida State University
Professional background
- (2025 – Present) Assistant Professor of Sociology; University of Redlands
- (2022 – 2025 ) Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology; Whitman College
- 2021 – 2022) Lecturer of Sociology and Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies; University of California, Davis
Publications
Nickens, Rachel E. 2025. “The Production of Neoliberal Girlhood in Girl Scout Daisies and Brownies.” Girlhood Studies 18(1):90-108.
Nickens, Rachel E. 2023. “Not So Girl-Led: Collective Concerted Cultivation in Girl Scouts of the United States of America.” Childhood 30(4):397-414.
Nickens, Rachel E. 2021. “Demystifying Expectations and Creating Structure: Weekly Overviews for Pandemic & Post Pandemic Learning.” Teaching/Learning Matters 50(3).
Awards and Honors
- Whitman College Abshire/Hubbard Research Award (2025, 2023)
- Whitman College Pedagogical Inquiry Grant (2024)
- Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education Graduate, Professional Student, and Post-Doctoral Career Development Grant (2019)
- UC Davis Center for Educational Effectiveness, Teaching Assistant Consultant Fellow (2018-2019)
- UC Davis Provost’s Fellowship for the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (2012-2013)
- University of Cincinnati Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Graduate Student of the Year Co-Recipient (2012)