Ewa Protasiuk

Hello! I am a scholar who studies work, immigration, and disasters. I am an incoming Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. I received my PhD from the Department of Sociology at Temple University in 2026.

Drawing on ethnographic immersion and interviews, my research examines immigrant and US-born workers' experiences in the restaurant industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. I use the richness of my qualitative data to illuminate how low-wage workers navigate social institutions like welfare, work, and health in times of mass social disruption, and how axes of inequality like legal status play into these dynamics.

My work has been published in journals such as Social Problems and Work and Occupations.

My research has been funded by sources including the Russell Sage Foundation, the National Science Foundation (via the American Sociological Association), and the Temple University Public Policy Lab.