Ilana Horwitz

Ilana M. Horwitz (Ph.D., Stanford University) is an Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies and Sociology, and the Fields-Rayant Chair of Contemporary Jewish Life at the Grant Center for the American Jewish Experience at Tulane University. Dr. Horwitz takes a sociological approach to examine how people’s religious upbringing, race, ethnicity, social class, and gender shape their life course, especially their educational experiences. Her first book, God Grades, and Graduation: Religion’s Surprising Impact on Academic Success (Oxford University Press, 2022) won a Distinguished Book Award from the American Sociological Association section on Religion. Her second book, The Entrepreneurial Scholar: A New Mindset for Success in Academia and Beyond, was published by Princeton University Press in 2025.