“I saw the power dynamics between boys and girls and that didn’t sit well with me,” she explained. “I come from a family of strong women, so whether it was on the playground or in a classroom, it bothered me when I saw girls not being treated equally.”¶¶The disquiet carried into Kusunoki’s career, which is rooted in public health and sociology. Kusunoki is a faculty associate, Population Studies Center; faculty associate, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research; and assistant professor of nursing, School of Nursing. She found herself drawn to research that examined the factors contributing to gender, racial and ethnic disparities.¶¶¶Project outline