Cassidy Puckett

Dr. Cassidy Puckett is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology at Emory University, specializing in the intersection of technology and social equity. Puckett employs a mixed-methods approach to examine how technological change influences inequality in education, occupations, and healthcare. Her academic trajectory was informed by six years of teaching technology classes to first-generation, low-income middle school students in Oakland, California, where she observed that technological proficiency is learned rather than innate. Puckett holds a doctorate in sociology from Northwestern University and a master's in learning, design and technology from Stanford Graduate School of Education.

Puckett's research interrogates assumptions about who is considered tech-savvy and the factors that shape digital inclusion. Her work critiques the digital divide narrative that attributes disparities to individual deficits, instead highlighting how organizational and institutional practices reinforce digital inequality. A significant contribution of her scholarship is the concept of digital adaptability, which explains differences in adolescents' capacity to learn new technologies. Puckett developed a 15-item Digital Adaptability Scale to measure this concept and explores how digital adaptability affects educational, occupational, and health outcomes. Her research has received support from organizations including the U.S. Department of Education, National Science Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, American Council of Learned Societies, and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Puckett is the author of "Redefining Geek: Bias and the Five Hidden Habits of Tech-Savvy Teens," published by University of Chicago Press. The book draws on observations and interviews with students nationwide, identifying five technology learning habits that support technological proficiency: willingness to try and fail, management of frustration and boredom, use of models, application of design logic, and identification of efficiencies. Puckett's findings indicate that marginalized groups by race, ethnicity, and class often go unrecognized for their technological skills, perpetuating stereotypes and influencing educational structures.

Puckett is recognized for her contributions to digital equity and STEM education. She has delivered keynote addresses at events such as the Wisconsin Department of Instruction's Play Make Learn conference and a National Science Foundation-funded workshop on technology and skills gaps in adulthood transitions at the American Sociological Association Meeting. Her work has been featured in public media, including radio programs and podcasts, and her scholarship appears in academic journals such as Harvard Educational Review, Social Science Computer Review, Social Science and Medicine, Teachers College Record, and Qualitative Sociology. Puckett's research also addresses healthcare technology, examining how children and adolescents use medical devices to manage Type 1 diabetes and the impact of technology use on health outcomes such as glycemic control. Through teaching, research, and public engagement, Puckett advances the understanding that equitable access to technology and digital skills is essential for reducing disparities across communities.