Biography

Mona Zahir came to sociology by way of an eclectic undergraduate education in philosophy at the University of Chicago, where she also took courses in biology, chemistry, computer science, social science, and the humanities. She ultimately decided that sociological research methods and theories were best suited to her interests and her ultimate goal of producing knowledge that can be utilized towards a positive social impact.

Mona’s main methodological interests include qualitative and quantitative content analysis of naturally-occurring and secondary data; descriptive and inferential statistics; social network analysis; surveys; and interviews.

Mona’s main theoretical interests concern the role of organizational actors (especially universities) in the insulation and distribution of techno-scientific knowledge.

Mona’s main empirical interests are centered on understanding the role of universities, companies, government agencies, and nonprofits in producing, disseminating, and applying the findings of cellular agriculture research to the food industry.