Frances Fox Piven

Frances Fox Piven is an internationally renowned social scientist, scholar, and activist whose commitments to poor and working people, and to the democratic cause have never wavered. She is the author or co-author of more than 200 articles published in academic journals, books, popular publications, and journals of opinion since 1965, some of which have been republished up to a dozen times. In addition to working more than three decades at the Graduate Center, Frances has held visiting professorships and fellowships (including Fulbright and Guggenheim awards) at numerous universities in the U.S. and abroad. She was elected a recent President of the American Sociological Association (2007), as President of the Society for the Study of the Social Problems (1980), and as a Vice President of the American Political Science Association (1981).

Frances’ grassroots activism also continues to this day. She currently serves on the boards of numerous non-profit and advocacy groups like Project Vote and Wellstone Action. Most recently, she was the recipient of the Elliott-Black Award from the American Ethical Union, the Labor Communicator of the Year Award from the New York Metropolitan Labor Communications Council, the Hon. Shirley Chisholm Lights of Freedom Award from Community Voices Heard, the Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Award from the Brooklyn College Labor Education Center, and the Hope Shapiro Bread and Roses Award from New Jersey Peace Action — in honor of her “commitment to peace and social justice” and her “tireless work to protect and expand voter rights.” In 2014, she received the prestigious Puffin Prize for Creative Citizenship from the Puffin and Nation Institutes.