Bio

Name: Dr. Gerald S. Kloby
Academic Rank: Associate Professor
Department: Sociology, Economics, and Anthropology
School: Liberal Arts
Office: DH 335
Phone: 973-328-5604
Email: gkloby@ccm.edu
Education: Ph.D., Rutgers University
B.A., M.A., Montclair State University

Hired: 2006

Jerry Kloby has been a professor of sociology at the County College of Morris since 2006. Formerly, he taught at Montclair State University, William Paterson University, and Rutgers University. Dr. Kloby received his Ph. D. from Rutgers University, and has a B.A. and M.A. from Montclair State.

Dr. Kloby’s primary area of specialization is social and economic inequality in the United States. His Ph. D. dissertation examined the growth of inequality in the United States from 1973 to 1985. He later published two editions of a book that examined U.S. inequality in a global context (Inequality, Power, and Development, published by Prometheus/Random House).

Dr. Kloby is a firm believer in higher education’s mission to promote an informed and engaged citizenry. He notes that “college is not just about providing students with skills they might need for a job, it is about developing the skills and insights needed to function as citizens in a world where democracy, human rights, and social justice are a constant struggle. We all gain from a clearer understanding of how our society works. When people are overwhelmed or confused they tend to abdicate power and responsibility to others. And that’s not a good thing. Education should be empowering. It should be illuminating.”

In the past, Dr. Kloby has worked with numerous community-based organizations on a variety of issues. For several years he served as a Research Fellow with the National Housing Institute, and worked as a community organizer on issues of housing affordability. He was a cofounder of the Montclair Affordable Housing Coalition and helped initiate innovative housing policies through the township’s Affordable Housing Task Force. He was also an invited participant in a number of international consultations and study visits organized by the Building and Social Housing Foundation of Great Britain.

Dr. Kloby was also an executive committee member and team leader for Montclair State’s Community Outreach Partnership Center, which was established by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He also served for four years as an executive board member of the Montclair Cooperative School.

Dr. Kloby lives in Monmouth County with his wife Kathryn, their two children, numerous chickens, and three Chinooks (a rare breed of sled dog).