OU Sociology graduate Dr. Juanita Ortiz was recently named the Vice-President of Academic Affairs at Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC). Previously, Dr. Ortiz served as Executive Director of Institutional Advancement and Dean of the Social Sciences Division at Rose State College and as a tenure-track faculty member in the Criminal Justice Department at the University of Illinois-Springfield. Dr. Ortiz earned all her degrees from the University of Oklahoma and her research areas include women’s criminal offending and their prisoner recidivism/reentry, including the book, Mean Lives, Mean Laws: Oklahoma’s Women Prisoners.
Decembner 2023
Juanita Ortiz Named Vice-President of Academic Affairs at Oklahoma City Community College
December 2023
Miguel Matancillas Prieto Wins OSA Student Essay Competition
Senior sociology major Miguel Matancillas Prieto won the 2023 Oklahoma Sociological Association Student Essay Competition. The essay also overviews the ways the social imagination is used within other disciplines and practices, such as Women's and Gender Studies, Race and Ethnic Studies, and systems of oppression generally. Miguel is from Oklahoma City and after graduation, he intends to pursue a graduate degree in sociology.
November 2023
Connelly successfully defends her PhD Dissertation
Congratulations to Dr. Sarah Connelly who successfully defended her dissertation titled: “Governing Well-Being for Youth in Child Welfare: What Influences Decision to Refer to Services and an Evaluation of Social Interventions.” Her committee members included Erin Maher (chair), Loretta Bass, Mick Peck, and Angela Pharris (Social Work). Sarah will be continueing her work as a senior research associate with The Educational Training, Evaluation, Assessment & Measurement (E-TEAM) department at The University of Oklahoma College of Continuing Education.
November 2023
Sociology Major Tatum Hayes publishes Honors Thesis
Tatum Hayes, a senior sociology major, had her Honors Thesis published in the Journal of Student Research. Hayes’ article is titled “Dennis Rader’s Dormancy Period: The Truth or a Coverup?” The article examines the crimes and victims of Dennis Rader, known primarily as the BTK Strangler. Hayes is a senior sociology major with minors in criminal justice and psychology. She will graduate in Spring 2024 and will attend law school to study wrongful conviction cases while focusing on criminal defense cases for those who cannot afford legal representation.
November 2023
Oyin Okuwa awarded Dissertation Fellowship
Congratulations to OU Sociology PhD candidate Oyindamola "Oyin" Okuwa, who has been awarded a DFCAS Dissertation Finishing Fellowship for the spring 2024 semester. This award will support Oyin with a research assistantship, so that she may devote herself full-time to the analysis and writing of her dissertation. Oyin grew up in Nigeria, earned her MA in Sociology from the University of Accra in Ghana, and came to the University of Oklahoma to pursue her PhD in 2019.
October 2023
OU Sociology Professors awarded a $1.5 million federal grant
OU Sociology Professors, Drs. Julie Gerlinger (pictured) and Erin Maher, along with Dr. Susan Stoner from the University of Washington, were awarded a $1.5 million federal grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation for their project, “Promoting Parent and Child Well-Being and Reducing the Need for Foster Care: An Evaluation of a One-Year Home-Visiting and Case Management Program for People Using Substances During Pregnancy”.
October 2023
Dr. Hill Interviewed by The Oklahoman for Article on Youth Gun Violence
OU Sociology assistant Professor, Dr. Christopher Hill contributed to a recent article in The Oklahoman about youth gun violence. In the wake of recent shootings by adolescents at a high school football game and the state fair, and a reported increase in the number of charges against minors for firearms-related offenses, there is growing concern about youth gun violence.
October 2023
Dr. Perry ranked # 1 in ScholarGPS Rankings of Sociologists
The scholarly analytics company, ScholarGPS, has ranked OU Sociology Professor Samuel Perry # 1 among sociologists in the United States and around the world in terms of research productivity and impact over the past 5 years. As the highest ranked sociologist in the United States, Professor Perry leads scholars in the top-10 from Harvard, Duke, Stanford, Vanderbilt, and other prestigious institutions. ScholarGPS also ranked Professor Perry in the top-25 among social scientists in the United States regardless of discipline.
August 2023
Dr. Maher receives National Award for Public Sociology
Congratulations to OU Sociology Associate Professor Erin Maher who received the William Foote Whyte Career Award from the Sociological Practice and Public Sociology section of the American Sociological Association (ASA). This Award is given annually to individuals who have made “… notable contributions to sociological practice and public sociology. ”
July 2023
Dr. Ipsen awarded a research grant from the Center for the Americas
OU Sociology professor Dr. Annabel Ipsen was one of three awarded a research grant from the Center for the Americas and a a seed grant from the Data Institute for Societal Challenges for her work on regulation, social movements, and the governance of corn in Mexico where she is conducting research this summer. The Center for the Americas is dedicated to enhancing programming at the University of Oklahoma in Latin America, and other areas in the western hemisphere.
June 2023
Dr. Bass named a 2023-24 Jefferson Science Fellow
Sociology Professor Loretta Bass has been named a 2023-24 Jefferson Science Fellow. This prestigious national award is administered by the National Academies of Sciences and builds capacity for scientific expertise within the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
April 2023
Tessmer Successfully Defends her MA Thesis
Congratulations to Abby Tessmer who successfully defended her M.A. thesis, "Transgender Realities: The Relationship Between Transgender Visibility, Race, and Victimization.” Her committee included Meredith Worthen (Chair), Trina Hope, and Ann Beutel.
Read More
April 2023
Joyce Successfully Defends MA Thesis
Congratulations to Andrew Joyce who successfully defended his M.A. thesis, "The Religious Restructuring of the Politics of Education: Exploring Stalled Support for Education Spending, 1973-2018." His committee included Cyrus Schleifer(Chair), Erin Maher, and Sam Perry.
April 2023
Davis Successfully Defends his PhD Dissertation
Congratulations to Dr. Josh Davis who successfully defended his dissertation titled: “Punishing the Wicked: Complex Religion and Punitive Sentiment in the United States” His committee members included Sam Perry (chair), Trina Hope, Cyrus Schleifer, and Michael Crowson (Education). Josh will be joining the Department of Sociology at the University of New Hampshire as a Tenure track Assistant Professor in the Fall.
April 2023
Schwartz Successfully Defends MA Thesis
Congratulations to Bria Schwartz, who successfully defended her MA thesis, Losing my Political Motivation: Trends in Voting and Protesting Expectations of U.S. High School Seniors. Her committee members are Ann Beutel (chair), John Leverso, and Stephanie Burge.
April 2023
Bonner successfully defends her MA Thesis
Congratulations to Emily Bonner, who successfully defended her MA thesis, The Price is Not Right: Grocery Taxation, Race and Food Insecurity during COVID-19. Her committee members are Mitch Peck, Tom Burns, and Loretta Bass (chair).
April 2023
Dr. Peck Receives Award for Superior Teaching
OU Sociology Associate Professor Mitchell Peck was named a 2023 recipient of the University of Oklahoma Regents’ Award for Superior Teaching. The award recognizes faculty who have contributed significantly to the core mission of the University in the area of teaching and mentoring students. Professor Peck was noted for providing “the best possible educational experience for our students through excellence in teaching, research and creative activity, and service to the state and society.”
April 2023
Brown successfully defends his MA Thesis
Congratulations to Aaron Brown who successfully defended his M.A. thesis, "Two Europe(s)? Attitudes Towards Immigrants Across Eastern and Western Europe." His committee included Martin Piotrowski (chair), Loretta Bass, and Ian Carillo.
April 2023
Green Works on Fellowship with the FBI
Congratulations to Sociology PhD Student and Captain in the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) Beth Green, who is currently serving as an Executive Fellow with the FBI in their Critical Incident Response Group Division within the Behavioral Analysis Unit/ViCAP (Violent Criminal Apprehension Program). This is a tremendous honor and Beth is the first fellow from Oklahoma!
March 2023
Rin Ferraro receives a Mergler Dissertation Completion Fellowship
Congratulations to Rin Ferraro for being selected as a recipient of the Nancy L. Mergler Dissertation Completion Fellowship! Rin is one of the seven doctoral students selected across the OU campus for this award. This award includes a stipend, tuition waiver, and health insurance coverage for a full academic year, so the fellows can devote time to completing their dissertations.
February 2023
Emily Bonner Wins OU's Three Minute Thesis
Congratulations to OU Sociology MA student Emily Bonner, who won first place in the 2023 campus-wide Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. The 3MT is a graduate competition testing participant’s capacity to explain their research in under three minutes using one static slide and accessible language for a non-specialized audience. Emily's research beat out over 70 students competing in the 2023 edition of OU 3MT competition.
January 2023
Sally Wiser awarded the Graduate Dean’s Distinguished Thesis Prize
Congratulations to OU Sociology graduate student Sally Wiser, who was recently awarded the Graduate Dean’s Distinguished Thesis Prize for her thesis completed in Spring 2022. This award recognizes outstanding performances by thesis-based Master's students. The prize is given to one student each year in three areas: (1) science and engineering, (2) social sciences, education, and the professions, and (3) humanities and fine arts.
January 2023
Dr. Piotrowski Represents at Russian Invasion-Ukraine Migration Panel
OU Sociology Associate Professor Martin Piotrowski was invited to present at a panel discussion on Migration Processes in Ukraine during the Russian invasion of 2022. This discussion was hosted by the Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology (CSDE) at the University of Washington. The conversation focused on timely and demographically informed approaches to understanding Ukrainian migration during this Russian invasion.
January 2023
Davis accepts an Assistant professor position at University of New Hampshire
Congratulations to OU Sociology PhD Canidate Joshua Davis, who accepted a tenure track Assistant Professor position in the Department of Sociology at the University of New Hampshire. Josh will be starting at UNH in the Fall of 2023 and will continue to teach and do research in the areas of crime, punishment, race, quantitative methods, and religion. Josh will defend his dissertation this spring and his committee includes Sam Perry (Chair), Trina Hope, Cyrus Schleifer, and Mike Crowson.
