Ilana M. Horwitz is the Fields-Rayant Chair of Contemporary Jewish Life and an assistant professor of Jewish Studies and Sociology at Tulane University. Born in Russia, she immigrated to Philadelphia as part of the Soviet Jewry Movement. Growing up with little exposure to Jewish traditions, she was deeply influenced by her involvement in Jewish schools, camps, and youth groups. These early encounters sparked her interest in sociology and education, particularly the intersections of religion, social class, race, ethnicity, and gender. Dr. Horwitz's research combines quantitative and qualitative methods, drawing on surveys and interviews.
Her first book, God, Grades, and Graduation: Religion’s Surprising Impact on Academic Success (Oxford University Press, 2022), won a Distinguished Book Award from the Religion section of the American Sociological Association. Her second book, The Entrepreneurial Scholar is forthcoming with Princeton University Press in March 2025. She is currently writing her third book, Why 2/3 of Americans Don’t Complete College—And Why It’s Not Their Fault, for University of California Press.
Dr. Horwitz's work has been published in leading journals, including the American Sociological Review, and she is committed to making her research accessible to broader audiences through outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Conversation.
She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology of Education and Jewish Studies from Stanford University, a Master’s in international education development from Columbia University’s Teachers College, and a Bachelor’s in business administration from Emory University. Before academia, Dr. Horwitz worked with technology startups and as a management consultant at Deloitte (formerly BearingPoint).