Max Besbris is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology. His research focuses on housing markets, residential mobility and stratification. His first book, Upsold (University of Chicago, 2020), examines how real estate agents affect home buyers’ decision-making as well as segregation and home prices. His second book, co-authored with Anna Rhodes, Soaking the Middle Class (Russell Sage, 2022), followed dozens of households that flooded during Hurricane Harvey for years after the storm to investigate how people make housing decisions in the wake of a climate-related disaster and how communities become more unequal during recovery. Professor Besbris has published articles in various journals and won awards from numerous professional associations for his work. His writing and research have been featured by many media outlets, such as the New York Times and CNN.
A word from Dean Eric M. Wilcots:
Professor Besbris has brought his expertise into his teaching and mentoring role within his department and the college, especially through his innovative undergraduate course on neighborhoods, inequality and social justice, and his graduate training role in the Center for Demography and Ecology.