Melody Mann is the 2026 recipient of the DC Sociological Society Irene B. Taeuber Graduate Student Paper Award for a PhD student. Mann is a student at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her paper is ਸਾਨੰ  ਪਸ਼ਾਣੋ  “Recognize Us: Surveying the Empirical Representation of Punjabi Families’ Perceptions on Early Intervention and Disabilities.” The paper’s abstract reads, 

This mixed methods study employs a scoping review, thematic analysis, and content analysis to examine how producers of scientific knowledge treat Punjabi families in early childhood disability and special education research focused on the broader South Asian diaspora. Drawing on Critical Disability Theory, I examine how researchers engage with Punjabi families in demographic reporting, cultural contextualization, and methodological sensitivity. Findings reveal the systematic erasure of Punjabi families, with all 14 of the studies either grouping them under “South Asian” or omitting them entirely. None of the studies provided detailed Punjabi-specific demographic data, and fewer than three quarters of the studies acknowledged contextual factors. The representation of disability in a Punjabi cultural framework was limited, with one in five  studies failing to provide culturally tailored discussions of early intervention. Moreover, cultural sensitivity was inconsistent, with slightly more than one quarter of studies acknowledging cultural adaptation in their methods and discussions. The lack of disaggregated data and culturally responsive methodologies in disability and early intervention research reveals an epistemic gap and perpetuates the marginalization of Punjabi families.

Melody is an RWJF Health Policy Research Scholar, first-generation Punjabi American scholar and former classroom teacher. Melody utilizes community-centered healing, intersectionality, and the social model to sustain diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice within historically marginalized populations navigating the early phases of disabilities and services, particularly within Punjabi families.

Mann will be honored at the 2026 DCSS Awards Reception on April 30, 206. More information about the graduate student paper awards, including a list of previous winners, is available on the DCSS website.