About Sofia

Dr. Sofia Jawed-Wessel teaches and generates new knowledge in the area of public health through scientific inquiry. Her research centers broad philosophical, cultural, and political implications of existing in a gendered and sexist world. The long-term goal of her research trajectory is to better understand sexual and maternal objectification and how these phenomenon impact our intimate and public experiences.

Dr. Jawed-Wessel’s teaches graduate level courses such as Research Methods, Health Behavior Theory, and Leadership and Advocacy. Dr. Jawed-Wessel also fights for women’s rights and reproductive justice through her research and community service. She has provided expert testimony for the Nebraska Unicameral, the Nebraska School Board of Education, and the Omaha Public School Board of Education. She enjoys speaking about her work with a wide range of audiences, both academic and public.

Dr. Jawed-Wessel is an Associate Professor in the School of Health and Kinesiology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and a Co-Director of the SoLi Lab for Sexuality and Gender Science. Dr. Jawed-Wessel also holds a joint appointment with the Women and Gender Studies program at UNO and a courtesy appointment in the College of Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Dr. Jawed-Wessel holds both a Master of Science in Public Health (MPH) degree and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Health Behavior from the School of Public Health at Indiana University Bloomington.

Dr. Jawed-Wessel is a 2022 Changemaker Fellow via the Society for Family Planning. She is a 2017 Ten Outstanding Young Omahans recipient as well as a 2017 Tribute to Women Honoree. She also received the 2022 UNO Faculty Excellence in Community Engagement Award and 2017 Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Women Outstanding Achievement Award and the 2015 Mary Anne Lamanna Excellence in Women and Gender Studies Award. She recently earned “Best Senior Research Poster” for her work discussing the the role of attitudes, sexual behavior patterns, and gender on sexual satisfaction among pregnant couples at the 2017 International Academy of Sex Research Annual Meeting. Her 2016 TEDxOmaha talk “The lies we tell pregnant women” was promoted by TED.com and has being viewed over 3 million times across all platforms.