Amy Adamczyk, alumna of the UCSIA Summer School 2009 cohort, recently shared news of a major scholarly achievement. In 2025, she published her book Fetal Positions: Understanding Cross-National Public Opinion about Abortion with Oxford University Press.
The book examines how abortion attitudes are shaped across national contexts by religion, culture, politics, and broader social environments. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach—including large-scale survey data, qualitative interviews, and media analysis—Fetal Positions offers a nuanced and comparative perspective on one of the most contested moral and political issues of our time.
In recognition of its scholarly contribution, the book was named co-recipient of the 2025 Steven F. Messner Outstanding Book Award. Alongside academic recognition, the publication has also generated significant public engagement.
Amy has actively contributed to public-facing scholarship connected to the book through podcasts, webinars, and television appearances, including collaborations with the World Values Survey, Journey TV, New Books Network (where the book was selected as a Book of the Day), Science & Belief in Society, and The CMDA Podcast. She has also written essays and commentary related to the book’s themes for outlets such as the Institute for Family Studies, Politics and Rights Review, The Conversation, and *Contexts* magazine.
Amy Adamczyk is Professor of Sociology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and at the Programs of Doctoral Study in Sociology and Criminal Justice at The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY). She earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from The Pennsylvania State University in 2005 and holds M.A. degrees from the University of Chicago and the CUNY Graduate Center/Queens College. Her academic training also includes a B.A. from Hunter College and an A.A.S. in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
Reflecting on her participation in the UCSIA Summer School, Amy recalls the 2009 cohort fondly and expressed her interest in remaining connected to future initiatives related to religion, public opinion, and social change.
The UCSIA Summer School warmly congratulates Amy Adamczyk on this award-winning publication and her continued contributions to both academic and public scholarship.