Bio
Scott R. Sanders is Associate Director of the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies and Associate Professor of Sociology at Brigham Young University. His work bridges sociology and international development, with a focus on evidence-based research that strengthens organizations and supports community well-being across global contexts, including rural health care access and outcomes.
He directs BYU’s Project Evaluation and Assessment Team (PEAT), training students to partner with NGOs worldwide on applied research and program evaluation addressing issues such as poverty alleviation, education, labor conditions, refugee welfare, and community development. Dr. Sanders also consults internationally on impact assessment and evaluation, including work related to labor and environmental standards, human trafficking, and social program outcomes.
He served as Executive Director and Treasurer of the Rural Sociological Society. Across his teaching and leadership, Dr. Sanders is deeply student centered and committed to mentoring, helping students develop the habits of lifelong learning, curiosity, and values driven service that prepare them to lead in diverse global settings.
Education
- PhD, Development Sociology, Demography, Research Methods, Cornell University (2013)
- MS, Development Sociology, Cornell University (2008)
- Master’s in Public Administration, International Development, Cornell University (2006)
- BS, International Politics, Brigham Young University (2002)
Honors and Awards
- Dedicated Service Award, Rural Sociological Society, 2025
- Research Fellow, David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, 2024
- Family, Home & Social Sciences College Leadership Workshop Award, 2025
- Family, Home & Social Sciences College Innovations in Mentoring Award, 2024
- Butler Early Career Award, Charles Redd Center, 2019–2021
Courses Taught
- UNIV 218 Poverty Alleviation
- Soc 302 Evaluation Research
- Soc 340 The Sociology of International Development
Selected Publications
Sanders, Scott R., Michael R. Cope, and *Taryn J. Frerichs. "Confronting Colonial Narratives: How Destination Museum Exhibits Can Sustainably Engage with Social Justices Issues." Tourism and Hospitality 6.2 (2025): 58.
*Park, Paige N., Scott R. Sanders, Michael R. Cope, *Kayci A. Muirbrook, and Carol Ward. 2021. "New Perspectives on the Community Impact of Rural Education Deserts." §Sustainability 13, no. 21 (2021): 12124.
Sanders, Scott R., Michael R. Cope, *Paige N. Park, *Wesley R. Jeffery, *Jorden E. Jackson. 2020. “Infants without Health Insurance: Racial/Ethnic and Rural/Urban Disparities in Infant Households’ Insurance Coverage.” §PLOS ONE. 15(1): e0222387.
Sanders, Scott R., *Jonathan Muir, and Ralph B. Brown. “Overcoming Geographic Penalties of Inequality: The Effects of Distance-demolishing Technologies on Household Well-being in Vietnam,” Asian Journal of Social Science 46, no. 3 (2018): 260-280.
Thiede, Brian C., Scott R. Sanders, and Daniel T. Lichter. "Born Poor? Racial Diversity, Inequality, and the American Pipeline." Sociology of Race and Ethnicity 4, no. 2 (2018): 206-228.
Sanders, Scott R., Michael R. Cope, and *Elizabeth R. Pulsipher. "Do Factory Audits Improve International Labor Standards? An Examination of Voluntary Corporate Labor Regulations in Global Production Networks." Social Sciences 7, no. 6 (2018): 1-12.
Thiede, Brian C., Daniel T. Lichter, and Scott R. Sanders. "America's working poor: Conceptualization, measurement, and new estimates." Work and Occupations 42, no. 3 (2015): 267-312.
*Student co-author