William Bielby

William Bielby (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/University of Illinois Chicago)

Sociologist William Bielby’s research focuses on racial diversity at the top of corporate hierarchies, how informal social networks facilitate career advancement and the factors that shape Americans’ support for or opposition to workplace policies designed to promote diversity and nondiscrimination.

Bielby has served as an expert witness in numerous class action employment discrimination cases. Most notably, his testimony related to gender bias in Wal-Mart Stores v. Dukes was the subject of extensive commentary and debate in law reviews and business media.

Bielby also has expertise in the field of popular music.