Dr. Abby Larson is a sociologist whose work encompasses culture, work, psychology, and the body. She is currently focused on projects related to fitness and sports performance. 

Since graduating with honors from Stanford (BA, MA) and earning her PhD at NYU, Abby has cultivated her research through fellowships at Harvard, Stanford, and UC Berkeley, and as faculty at Rice University. Her research has been supported by sponsors including the National Science Foundation, and she has taught graduate and undergraduate courses. She has been honored to curate enrichment programming for organizations including the Fulbright Program, U.S. Department of State.

Currently, she is a visiting scholar in the Department of Sociology at NYU where she is advancing research and working on a book. 

Abby has also worked to establish and lead new initiatives both within the university and in the private sector throughout her academic career. As a graduate student, she worked with her faculty advisor to help establish the Research Alliance for New York City Schools.  During a post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford, she helped to create a university-wide initiative around digital education, and as a fellow at Harvard Law's Center for Ethics, she worked on questions related to trust and institutions. She later served as the first Director for the Liu Idea Lab for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Rice University, and as Entrepreneur in Residence at the Samsung Accelerator in San Francisco.  In 2024, she established ABBY ATHLETICS. Their goal is to make accessible cutting-edge, evidence-based fitness and sports performance coaching while creating new knowledge.

In association with her work, Abby earned the German Chancellor Fellowship for Future Leaders (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation), and was a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship. 

Abby is originally from Minnesota and Montana, and she has lived in Argentina, France, Germany, and England.  She currently lives in New York City. 

Contact: [email protected]