MacKenzie Bonner, third-year UCI sociology graduate student, is the 2025 recipient of the Etel Solingen Award for Outstanding Paper in International Relations. The honor recognizes Bonner’s paper, “Bureaucratic Entrapment: Refugee Experiences of the European Union (EU) Migration Regime,” for its originality, strong theoretical foundation, well-developed research design and empirical analysis. Below, the Philadelphia native explores her work and time as an Anteater.

What made you decide to pursue a graduate degree in sociology, and specifically at UCI? What interests you most about your work?

I earned my B.A. from Temple University, graduating with a major in Global Studies and minor in Spanish. I also completed an Ed.M. in Education Policy and Analysis at Harvard University.

My academic journey has been shaped by my experiences as a teacher, both at a public high school in the U.S. and at a refugee center in Europe. These roles deepened my commitment to understanding the intersection of education and migration, sparking a desire to address systemic inequality through research.

This path led me to UCI’s Department of Sociology, which stood out for its strengths in global sociology, education, and law and society. What excites me most about my work is using research to explore how individuals navigate complex institutional systems and how bureaucratic structures, in turn, shape life trajectories.

Tell us about your research. What problem will your findings help solve?

My research sits at the intersection of the sociology of migration and the sociology of education, tied together by a core interest in how bureaucratic systems shape the lives of individuals. Across both domains, I use qualitative methods to examine how institutional procedures, which are often opaque and exclusionary, become mechanisms through which inequality is reproduced, as well as how individuals interpret, navigate, and resist these structures.

One strand of my work focuses on asylum systems in the European Union, where I examine how forcibly displaced individuals (e.g., refugees, asylum seekers) encounter national and regional bureaucratic regimes as they seek legal protection and recognition. Through interviews and ethnographic fieldwork in Italy, I explore how refugees navigate administrative hurdles, shifting eligibility rules, and prolonged uncertainty. I highlight the ways in which regional migration agreements and policies, often heralded as efficient, produce opposite, often devastating, outcomes for those navigating asylum in the EU.

Another strand of research examines how college students with disabilities navigate higher education, with a focus on the decision to disclose a disability in order to access academic accommodations. While such support can be crucial, many students, especially those with invisible disabilities, face intersecting barriers related to institutional complexity, stigma, and social identity. I investigate how disclosure decisions are shaped by race, class, and gender, and how faculty and staff navigate their roles as gatekeepers. This work reveals how disability functions as a key axis of inequality in higher education and how bureaucratic systems can both enable and constrain access.

Where can your work be found if someone wanted to learn more about your research?

Manuscripts in Progress

• Bonner, M. (2025). Bureaucratic Entrapment: Refugee Experiences of the European Union (EU) Migration Regime. Under Review.
• Bonner, M. (2025.) The School Battleground: Public Claims-Making in Local School Board Meetings. In Progress.
• Bonner, M. (2025). Between Hope and Constraint: The Dublin Regulation and Emotional Adaptation Among Refugees in the European Union (EU). In Progress

Book Chapters

• Lerch, J. and Bonner, M. (2025). Education in Emergencies in a Post-Liberal World. Handbook on Education in Conflict and Emergencies. Under Review.
• Bonner, M., Liu, Y., Kang, Y. & Lijuan Lee. (2022). “Chapter Two: Bogotá, Colombia. Reducing Educational Gaps for All Learners.” In Reimers, F., Budler, T., Irele, I., Kenyon, R., & Stephanie Ovvitt, Advancing A New Social Contract for Education: Collaborations to Reimagine our Futures Together.

Policy Reports

• Nakajima, T.M., Blanchard, S., Montes, G., Valencia, S., Bonner, M., Hertenstein, H., Pescador, O. (2025). Schools Demonstrating Academic Success 2.0: Actionable Strategies and Practices. Los Angeles Unified School District, Strategic Data and Evaluation Branch.
• Bonner, M., Escobar, S., Hertenstein, H., Lalwani, N., Montes, G., Pescador, O., Ravi, R., Richard, C. (2024). 2023-2024 Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Pilot Evaluation. Los Angeles Unified School District, Strategic Data and Evaluation Branch.

What organizations, foundations, etc. have funded your work?

During my time at UCI, my research and professional development has been generously supported by a range of organizations. I have been a three-time recipient of the Kugelman Fellowship from the Center for Citizen Peacebuilding (2023–2025) and have received multiple awards from UCI’s Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation (DTEI), including the Pedagogical Scholar Award (2023) and the Summer Graduate Scholar Award (2024, 2025). I was also awarded a Graduate Research Grant from the Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies in 2024.

Beyond UCI, I have received national support for my research and teaching. This includes the Problem-Solving Sociology Dissertation Proposal Development Workshop Grant from Johns Hopkins University (2025), two Summer Teaching Fellowships at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (2024, 2025), and the Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network Career Development Grant (2024).

In addition to your research, what other activities have you been involved with as an Anteater?

While at UCI, I’ve served as a Peer Mentor and Social Events Co-Chair for the Sociology Graduate Student Association, as well as a judge at the Undergraduate Research Symposium (2024, 2025). Through the UCI Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation (DTEI), I’ve also had the opportunity to develop inclusive teaching resources and guide incoming TAs within the school of Social Sciences as a TA Professional Development Program (TAPDP) leader. Finally, through the DTEI Graduate Scholars Program, I’ve worked closely with Dr. Albert Siryaporn (UCI Department of Physics & Astronomy) and the UCI Neurodiversity Support Group to contribute to campus-wide accessibility efforts.

Who have been your faculty mentors while here, and what impact have they had on your graduate career?

I have been so lucky to work closely with Dr. Julia Lerch (UCI Department of Sociology), whose mentorship has significantly shaped my understanding of humanitarian systems and global education. Her guidance has been critical in connecting my research with broader sociological debates and her abundant kindness and encouragement has made my time at UCI so enjoyable.

I am also grateful for the facilitators of the UCI Qualitative Research Working Group (Dr. Irene Vega, Dr. Rocío Rosales, Dr. Kelley Fong, Dr. Glenda Flores, Dr. Mirian Martinez-Aranda, Dr. Sherelle Ferguson, & Dr. Emily Carian), who have been immensely helpful in refining my methodological approaches and offering new ways to think about my research and its impact.

Finally, within the UCI Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation, I’ve had the incredible support of Dr. Alex Bower & Dr. Danny Mann, both of whom have been instrumental in helping me refine my teaching and mentorship practices.

When do you plan to complete your Ph.D.? What are your plans thereafter? How has UCI prepared you well for this role?

I plan to complete my Ph.D. by Spring 2028. Afterward, I hope to continue working in academia and advancing scholarship and advocacy within the sociology of education. UCI has prepared me through intensive training in qualitative methods, deep engagement in inclusive pedagogy, and a strong support network of mentors and peers. I feel so fortunate to be part of a thoughtful and collaborative graduate cohort whose mutual encouragement and solidarity has been essential to my progress.

Any unique life experiences that have guided your educational journey? Give us some background.

As an undergraduate student, I sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that has (and continues to) significantly impact my cognitive functioning. Navigating higher education while managing this invisible disability exposed me to the hurdles students face in securing accommodation, often tied to stigma or bureaucratic complexity. This reality has informed my commitment to inclusive teaching practices, as well as research that can contribute to more welcoming education systems for all students.

Any other tidbits you’d like to share?

If you’re an undergraduate student interested in pursuing a graduate degree in sociology or education (or both!), I'm always happy to chat about my experience. You can contact me at mbonner1@uci.edu or  www.linkedin.com/in/mackenziebonner.