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Nella Van Dyke

Nella Van Dyke
Professional Title: 
Affiliate Faculty (Social Sciences)
Email: 
nvandyke@ucmerced.edu
Phone: 
(209) 228-4106
Education: 
  • Ph.D., 1999 — University of Arizona
  • M.A., 1994 — University of Arizona
  • B.A., with Distinction, 1987 — University of Michigan
Awards: 
2010 - Outstanding Article Award, American Sociological Association Section on Collective Behavior and Social Movements  
Research Interests: 

Professor Van Dyke's research focuses on social movements and hate crime, with an emphasis on how characteristics of the social environment influence levels of collective action. Recent projects include studies of:

  • AFL-CIO's Union Summer internship program and how it inspired student anti-sweatshop protests
  • How political threats inspire social movement coalitions
  • Factors influencing right-wing mobilization

She is currently conducting research on:

  • Factors that influence variation in the incidence of hate crimes on college campuses
  • Same sex marriage as a protest tactic
  • A meta-analysis of the factors that facilitate coalition formation