iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

The New Age of Sexism was a tough and jarring read at times (the ease of deepfakes is horrific and did you know about cyberbrothels??) I firmly believe this is a crucial read for all of us as we ask ourselves how AI fits into society and what it is truly doing for us. #books #readinglist #sociology

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

Over break I read this eye opening book from Laura Bates: The New Age of Sexism: How AI and Emerging Technologies Are Reinventing Misogyny While I had been tracking the discussions about the harm AI poses, I had not yet pieced together how it reinforces sexism and misogyny in alarming ways.

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Reposted by Liz

ANSIRH @ansirh.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

The Pitt, Ginny & Georgia, All’s Fair – how did this year’s biggest TV shows tackle abortion? We tracked this year’s hits and misses in our Abortion Onscreen report. www.ansirh.org/research/res...

ansirh.org

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

I am currently in the process of following up on this research to further explore these patterns and see how the attitudes of military spouse surrogates have changed over time. If you or someone you know would be open to sharing their experience, please visit my intake form for more information:

docs.google.com

Military Wives and Surrogacy in the United States

Thank you in your interest in being interviewed for this research project. Please fill out the contact information below and I will be in touch with you ASAP to schedule an interview. I appreciate…

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

The Mommy Deloyment: Key Finding Four 4. Accountability, Responsibility, and Regimentation: military spouses felt well prepared for the demands of surrogacy because of their experiences as a military spouse #militarywife

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

The Mommy Deloyment: Key Finding Three 3. “Hurry Up and Wait” - lots of people think surrogacy is easy and steady money, but contrary to that perception there is a lot of waiting and a lot of potential of loss. #militaryspouse #milspouse

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

The Mommy Deloyment: Key Finding Two 2. The ideals of the military: valor, sacrifice, and service translate very well to surrogacy. #surrogate

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

The Mommy Deloyment: Key Finding One 1. Instead of “military first” their time as a surrogate meant the family, and their spouses, had to switch to “surrogate first”. #surrogacy

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

There are many stereotypes about surrogacy in our culture, and even more so when it comes to the population of military spouses who are surrogates. But when I focused on what surrogacy meant to them and how they made sense of what they were doing I found many of these talking points didn’t hold up:

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

I am no stranger to conferencing, but I have never done TWO conferences in one weekend! ★★ I had a blast at the Association for Humanist Sociology and the Sigma Nursing Biennial Convention. It was special to get to present with some of my favorite collaborators. #sociology #sociologist #researcher

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

My students are skeptical that I will finish this book before the semester ends. Like most academics, my TBR quickly gets hidden by the ever-present to-do list. We have 7 weeks left and I have 191 pages to go. ★ Think I can do it? ★ #researcher #professor #books #bookrecommendations #readinglist

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

“Hope absolutely has to be part of the strategy. They’ll need hope.” - Ashley C. Rondini This article perfectly illustrates how I aim to encourage hope from my students. Because if we want students to stay engaged, we have to help them believe in transformation: www.asanet.org/footnotes-ar...

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

Back to work means back to recruitment! I am still looking to interview military spouses who have been surrogates and people who are in the surrogacy industry! If you are interested in participating or learning more, please fill out the interview interest form: docs.google.com/forms/d/16Fm...

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

While my back-to-school to-do list is glaring at me, I at least know my earring game is on point for this first week of formal activities: Day 1 ★ Welcome back meetings! Day 2 ★ Meeting new students at convocation Day 3 ★ Faculty Senate Retreat Day 4 ★ Shaheen college meeting + student greeting

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

Hard to believe it has been 20 years since I snuck into my first ASA before starting grad school! The plenary with Patricia Hill Collins was a true highlight and it was wonderful to see old friends, make new connections, and talk about surviving academia. And I got to do it with Colleen Wynn!!!

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

★ Why does surrogacy matter in sociology? ★ Surrogacy can be altruistic or commercial, and it varies dramatically by country, law, and cultural context. It raises big questions about kinship, labor, rights, and who gets to become a parent. #surrogacy #gestationalsurrogacy #assistedreproduction

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

There are two main types of surrogacy: gestational surrogacy and traditional surrogacy. ★ In gestational surrogacy, the baby has no genetic link to surrogate. ★ While in traditional surrogacy, the surrogate is biologically related to the baby.

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

★ So, what is surrogacy? ★ Surrogacy is a reproductive arrangement where a person carries and delivers a baby for someone else.

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

As a sociologist, I study surrogacy not just as a medical option, but as a reflection of how our society handles reproduction, labor, and inequality. While my work dives into surrogacy norms in subgroups such as military spouses, I thought I’d pop on here to share a refresher on the basics.

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

I highly recommend this for anyone interested in learning more about surrogacy! #surrogacy #gestationalsurrogacy #assistedreproduction #reproductivehealth #bookrecommendation

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

A Tale of Two Surrogates: A Graphic Narrative on Assisted Reproduction is such an engaging, informative, and fun way to share research and get this info outside of traditional academic silos!!

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

I was thrilled to get this graphic novel from Zsuzsa and her frequent and brilliant collaborator, Elly Teman, which details surrogacy in the US and Israel (with spotlights of research on surrogacy around the globe).

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

When I started researching the world of surrogacy in the U.S. in 2012, Zsuzsa Berend reached out to me in the early days to share tips and insights from her own research. Since then she has been a treasured mentor and friend.

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

Searching for People to Interview! I am expanding on my past research on military spouses who have experience as a surrogate. This research project has been approved by the University of Indianapolis Institutional Review Board (IRB). V2 - Approval date 5/19/2025; Approval Number 02071.

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

★ How do you get students to give new things in the classroom a try? ★ #cat #teachingstrategies #highered #studentengagement #professorlife

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

I tried a lot of modeling behaviors in my classes last year like group pomodoros, annotation programs, etc. but it’s time to think about what other new things I could bring in.

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

As I think about next semester and my classes, I find myself wondering how to get students to embrace new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new ways of expressing themselves.

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

I’ll admit, I watched my cat explore her new water fountain because the cuteness was too much to ignore. But it also made me think about how scary new things can be and that it is ok to test stuff out (like dipping a paw in the water) 🐾

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

Commencement 2025 was such a wonderful day!! Always so bittersweet to see our students graduate. Congrats to the class of 2025! #classof2025 #commencement #graduation #uindy #uindyproud

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

and if you want to learn more about my work check out my Google Scholar Page: g.co/kgs/o1t8jwc Thank you for your time and consideration! This research project has been approved by the University of Indianapolis Institutional Review Board (IRB). V2 - Approval date 5/19/2025; Approval Number 02071.

g.co

Elizabeth Ziff - Google Scholar

Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Indianapolis

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

There are no direct benefits to participation and no foreseeable risks greater than those encountered in everyday life. If you are interested in participating or learning more, please fill out the interview interest form: docs.google.com/forms/d/16Fm-vdhqgHHW0z5_Rkl9fChs-Lm5ekQqacSZPkFgx-g

docs.google.com

Military Wives and Surrogacy in the United States

Thank you in your interest in being interviewed for this research project. Please fill out the contact information below and I will be in touch with you ASAP to schedule an interview.

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

Through individual interviews, you will be asked about your experience as a military spouse and surrogacy. Interviews can be virtual, or location and participant permitting, in person and should last approximately 60-90 minutes.

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

Officially Recruiting People to Interview! I am expanding on my past research on military spouses who have experience as a surrogate. This is a voluntary interview study aimed to better understand and contribute to the larger public and academic discussion on surrogacy, motherhood, and gender.

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

I am so excited to share that I have been promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure!! There are so many people that supported me along the way and helped me get to this dream and goal. This is a road I definitely could not have made it on alone. Congrats to all on their tenure and/or promotion!

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

New Book Alert! 🚨🚨🚨 I am honored to be part of this fantastic new collection: Understanding Reproduction in Social Contexts. The group of authors is astounding and it was so wonderful to work with the editor, the brilliant Caitlin Killian. Stay tuned here as I continue to share my research!

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Liz @profziff.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

“Why sociology?” ★ Why is one neighborhood funded and another neglected? ★ Why are some bodies policed more than others? ★ Why is success often a mirror of inherited advantage? Sociology is about learning to see clearly, and choosing not to look away! #sociology #sociologist #sociologyclass

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