Dr. Raul Casarez started at Boise State University in 2022 and is currently an Assistant Professor with the Department of Sociology. He earned both his Ph.D. and M.A. in Sociology from Rice University, an M.A. in Sociology from Texas State University, and a B.A. in Psychology from The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Casarez’s research focuses on unpacking the complex ways in which group boundaries and experiences associated with race, ethnicity, and immigration (re)produce social inequality, shape identity formation, and regulate social distance from perceived outsiders. His dissertation examines the symbiotic relationship between racial and national identity and its association with attitudes and treatment of perceived others, particularly immigrants and racial out-group members. His work has been published in the Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, Ethnic and Racial Studies, and The Sociological Quarterly.