Fall 2021 Sociology Newsletter |
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Greetings from FSU Sociology! I hope that you and your loved ones are safe and well as we enter into the holiday season.
We have managed to successfully navigate another strange and challenging semester! This Fall we started back to school on an almost "normal" schedule, offering many more face-to-face and hybrid courses than we have offered since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to a local surge in cases, however, we continued to limit our other on-campus meetings and activities. Luckily, we were able to hold a small number of events and celebrations on campus as the term came to a close. It has been so nice to gather in person with my amazing colleagues and students again!
As always, Sociology faculty, staff and students have continued to excel in their work. As a result, members of the department won competitive awards and honors, received excellent course evaluations, published research in top-tier journals and academic presses, received numerous grants and contracts, and took on leadership roles within the university and the larger academic discipline. Over the course of Summer and Fall, we also graduated almost 60 undergraduate students, six master's students and four PhD students.
In addition to these honors and succcesses, we continued to receive tremendous support from our alumni and friends. Our third annual fundraising campaign was an amazing success! Thank you to everyone who contributed to that campaign or at other times throughout the year. Each gift is having a substantial, direct impact on FSU Sociology students, helping us to support them in ways we otherwise could not (e.g. recruitment efforts, awards, extra technology and software resources, supplemental training and workshops, etc.). We are truly grateful for your support, and we encourage you to keep the Department in mind as you consider ways to give back (Donate to FSU Sociology).
We've also heard from a number of you over the course of the year, and it has been such a treat to receive updates on your careers and your personal lives. Please keep those updates coming! You can always stay connected with the department on twitter @FSUSociology and Facebook (FSU Sociology). I also invite you to share updates about your own accomplishments and life events in our next newsletter by contacting me at [email protected] or sending us your information through this survey form.
May your holidays be happy and safe, and the new year bring much joy to your lives!
Kathi Tillman
Professor and Chair of Sociology
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- Meet Our New Graduate Students
- Meet Our Recent Graduates
- Grad Student On the Job Market
- Alumni Spotlight
- Faculty Spotlight
- In Memoriam
- SWS Update
- AKD Update
- Newsworthy News
- Thank You to Our Donors
- Celebrations and Recognitions
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Meet Our New Graduate Students |
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Dr. Paromita Sanyal and the 2021 Incoming Cohort
Top Row, Left to Right: Skyler Bastow, Monika Pareek, Dr. Paromita Sanyal.
Middle Row, Left to Right: Yuki Maynor, Hope Mimbs, Megan Skowronski.
Bottom Row, Left to Right: Rose Archer, Rachael Dominguez, Kyleigh Moniz.
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Skyler Bastow is interested in LGBTQ+ inequalities, health, and life course outcomes. They hold a BA in Accounting and a MAcc from The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma.
Monika Pareek is interested in economic sociology, urban sociology, social theory, and gender. She holds a BA in English Literature from St. Stephen's College in Delhi, India, and MA in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, India.
Yuki Maynor is interested in Japan and mixed-race studies. She holds a BA in Spanish and BM in Music Theory & Composition from Florida State University and an MA in Music (Ethnomusicology) from the University of California, Riverside.
Hope Mimbs is interested in class and gender inequalities, as well as feminist methodology. She holds a BA in Sociology and Liberal Studies from Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, GA.
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Megan Skowronski is interested in medical sociology, economic sociology, public policy, and racial/gender inequalities. She holds a BA in Economics from Florida State University.
Rose Archer is interested in maternal health inequities, race, and religious coping across the life course. Rose holds a BA from Birmingham-Southern College and a Masters of Divinity from Duke University.
Rachael Dominguez is interested in Family (especially nontraditional family structures), childhood & youth, and education. She received her BA in Sociology with a concentration in Inequalities and Social Justice from the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL.
Kyleigh Moniz is primarily interested in racial/ethnic disparities within the sociology of education. She holds a BA in Sociology from Flagler College, an MA in Sociology from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and an MS in Education Policy and Evaluation from FSU.
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Meet our Summer and Fall 2021 PhD Graduates |
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Dissertation: Not so Black and White: How Campus Racial Context Shapes the Experiences and Expectations of Queer Black Students
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Scarlett Marklin
Dissertation: State Matters: The Role States Play in Population Health
Chair – Dr. Michael McFarland
Dr. Marklin's research interests center on population health and mathematical sociology from a macro perspective. For her dissertation, Dr. Marklin analyzed state-level data procured from over 30 various governmental agencies in conjunction with individual-level data retrieved from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to examine the role states play in population health in terms of cardio-metabolic outcomes (obesity, diabetes, cardiac events). By using the social determinants of health frame and the World Health Organizations Healthy People 2020, Dr. Marklin identified three major themes to assess key social determinants of cardio-metabolic health at the state level. Dr. Marklin argued that the role played by geographic place is dependent upon a complex system of social determinants characteristic of the states in which individuals live and interact. Although individual-level educational attainment can moderate the impact of state-level characteristics, these higher-level characteristics play a key role in overall health outcomes. Dr. Marklin’s research highlights that, for some state-level characteristics, education matters more in geographic areas that are more resource-deprived, but for other state characteristics, education matters more in areas with greater resource potential. This research calls attention to the effect that states, acting as their own social systems, have on population health. This is particularly important to understand, as the gap between health disparities across states continues to widen.
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Dr. Marklin is currently a data scientist at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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Dissertation: Sisterhood, Safe Spaces & Self-Affirmations: How Black Women Practice Self-care in Response to Racism and Discrimination
Chair - Dr. Katrinell Davis
Dr. Jackson's research examines how racism and discrimination impact Black women's overall health and well-being. For her dissertation, titled "Sisterhood, Safe Spaces & Self-Affirmations: How Black Women Practice Self-care in Response to Racism and Discrimination," Dr. Jackson analyzed how Black women construct counternarratives that reject the strong Black woman stereotype in order to prioritize their mental health. She performed in-depth interviews with Black women between the ages of 18 and 35, as well as conducted a content analysis of tweets and blog posts from 2 online wellness platforms. Dr. Jackson found that Black women engage in relational resilience, where they rely on growth-fostering relationships with other Black women to affirm their identities and mutually empower one another to navigate the negative psychological outcomes they experience due to gendered racism. Further, she finds digital platforms can provide opportunities for Black women to cultivate sisterhood and receive self-affirmations that prompt them to take care of themselves. She argues that although digital spaces can be a therapeutic outlet, more needs to be done to protect Black women from the toxic qualities of social media, like bullying and harassment, that can hinder Black women from utilizing these platforms for their healing.
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Dr. Jackson is currently a Consultant for TriWest Group, a health and human services firm. In her role, she conducts qualitative analyses to assist behavioral health providers to evaluate the efficacy of their programs. She is also currently working on a project related to racial healing in higher education institutions.
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Katie Tindell
Dissertation: Workplace Incivilities: Characteristics of Targets and the Association between Incivilities and Mental Health
Chair- Dr. Irene Padavic
Dr. Katie Tindell’s research interests center on workplace inequality and, in particular, on workplace bullying. Her dissertation used a nationally representative dataset to examine the characteristics of targets of workplace incivility and the association between having experienced workplace incivility and mental health. Results show that people in lower statuses were no more likely to be bullied than others. In the case of age, however, younger workers were significantly more likely than older ones to be bullied. Work relationships also mattered: people who had positive work relationships were less likely to experience bullying. An association also appeared between bullying and poor mental health, with people who had been bullied more likely to experience depression and psychological unease. The dissertation proposes policy and structural interventions at both an organizational and national level, including the development of training programs, guarantees of protection from retaliation, task force groups that facilitate high-quality workplace relations, and national policies similar to those enacted to combat discrimination and sexual harassment. A companion paper, published in the Journal of Applied Social Science in 2021, draws on interviews with 18 workers to more deeply analyze the experience of having been bullied.
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Dr. Tindell is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Sociology Department at Florida State University.
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Summer and Fall 2021 MS Graduates |
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Aislinn (Roxie) Brookshire (Summer 2021)
Thesis: “Pregnancy Discrimination in Low Wage Work”
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Miranda Waggoner
Jason D'Amours (Summer 2021)
Thesis: “Maybe We're Turning a Corner": HIV/AIDS Activists' Views on Contemporary Prevention Technologies”
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Miranda Waggoner
Taylor Darks (Fall 2021)
Thesis: “'The Most Livable City in America'- Localized Reparations as a Method to Close the Black-White Wealth Gap”
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Shantel Buggs
Kyle Rose (Fall 2021)
Thesis: “From Science and Media to Microblogs and Conspiracy Theorists: The Decentralization of Epistemic Authority Around Covid-19 on Twitter”
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Deana Rohlinger
Rwiti Roy (Summer 2021)
Thesis: “Expanding Political Opportunity: Gender Processes in Two Labor Movements in India”
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Paromita Sanyal
Rachel Sparkman (Summer 2021)
Thesis: "Complexities of Economic Well-Being and Vulnerability in Rural America: A Look at Nativity Status and Race/Ethnicity"
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Kathi Tillman
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Graduate Student On the Job Market |
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Pierce Dignam
Pierce is a Ph.D. candidate who studies the intersection of social movements, gender, collective identity, and politics in the digital age. His work has focused on the social movement dynamics of Alt-Right spaces on Reddit, the Trump campaign’s working-class appeals, and Trump supporters' cultural understandings of masculinity and anti-establishment politics. He also has co-founded and helped to develop The Institute for Research on Male Supremacism, which works to shed light on and challenge misogynist movements. His research has been published in Race, Gender and Class, Signs, Social Currents, and Men and Masculinities. His teaching experience includes designing and teaching courses on Political Sociology, Sex and Gender, and Introduction to Sociology.
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Carmelo "Carmen" Battaglia, PhD - Class of 1968 |
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We recently spoke with alumni Dr. Carmen Battaglia
about his academic and career journey. Here he shares, in his own words, a bit of his story and what FSU and FSU Sociology has meant to him.
Growing up as a sick child in the border town of Niagara Falls, New York was nothing to write home about: I was behind in school, held back in second grade, small for a boy, and socially isolated. I made two promises during my childhood, however, that would unequivocally change my life. In November of my senior year of high school, before my father died unexpectedly, I promised him I would take care of my mother. Soon after, when Florida State University offered me a football scholarship, I promised my mother that I would quit playing if I was injured. Those promises motivated me to work hard, to take care of myself, and to always put forth my best efforts.
My studies at FSU went well and they would be the beginning of a long and lasting relationship with faculty and friends. Upon graduating with a Bachelor’s in Psychology in 1958 and a Master’s in Criminology in 1960, faculty from FSU Sociology helped me to obtain an Assistant Dean position at Emory University. After a few years, Dean Oglesby from FSU urged me to return for more graduate work in a new joint Sociology and Criminology PhD program. I did, and I quickly learned that completing two programs at the same time meant no sleep and a lot of work. Determination and my promise to my father pushed me on.
When I was close to graduation, another unexpected death occurred. My father-in-law was visiting during Easter weekend. On Sunday morning, right after church, he died of a massive heart attack at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. This was a day from hell for me, my wife and my four children, two of whom were still in diapers. But on that day, the Dean who had encouraged me to return to FSU showed up at my home and handed me a large roll of money. He said, “Go to Chicago, bury your father-in-law, and get back here. You are needed in school.” When I promised to repay him Dean Oglesby replied, “I don’t want the money back, but I do want a promise that when you get a job and are successful, you will find two students just as desperate as you. Help them and make them promise to repay it by helping two others.”
Within the next ten years, I would go on to work for the U.S. Department of Education and manage educational programming aimed at helping disadvantaged students in the eight Southeastern states of the U.S., first as the Associate Commissioner of Education and then as the Regional Administrator of Education. I worked with college and university presidents, deans, and financial aid officers in about 400 post-secondary institutions. This job truly was a gift and a way to pay back the Dean many times over.
During the next 30 years, I would be recognized for my work with postsecondary institutions and would go on to publish scholarly work, including a co-edited volume titled, “Educational Perspectives: Non-Traditional Students.” My work also led to an invitation to serve on a study team established under the direction of President Gerald Ford to examine small, private, liberal arts colleges. In June of 1976 we issued a six-chapter report titled, “Study of the Causes of the Demise of Certain Small, Private, Liberal Arts Colleges.” It was widely circulated throughout the academic world, and it helped me to better understand my job as a Regional Administrator.
My travels for work took me to campuses across the Southeastern states, exposing me to all kinds of research. I found that many researchers had projects that included dogs. As a side project, I began to write about these studies and how dog breeders could use this information. Over time, I would go on to write four books and publish more than 70 articles, mostly about breeding dogs and the dog sport. My third major research study, which involves 1,300 children who participated in junior showmanship in the dog sport, is currently pending peer review. I also now serve as a Director of the American Kennel Club and co-chair of the American Kennel Club’s Dog Detection Task Force, a program aimed at developing a much-needed domestic breeding program for the detection dogs that are used to protect our country.
Throughout my careers in education, research and the world of dogs, my relationship with FSU has remained strong. I have been honored to serve as the elected President of the National Alumni Association for FSU, I continue to meet for dinner once each year with my old football team, and my SAE fraternity keeps up with brothers in the local chapter by Zoom once a week. The local FSU Atlanta chapter also is active, meeting for games and helping FSU graduates network to find jobs. Craig Meyers at the FSU Foundation and Kathi Tillman, the Chair of Sociology, have become regular collaborators for me as well. Together, we discuss the values of FSU and ways to help graduates keep in touch and make a difference.
It's not surprising that after all these years FSU continues to find ways to keep up with me and its many graduates. Looking back, my studies at FSU and my long association with the faculty there clearly shaped so many things in my life. FSU gave me amazing opportunities, taught me in and out of the classroom, and became my laboratory for learning and finding new friends. At the end of the day, I can summarize it all by saying that FSU has a special way of teaching and mentoring its students, continuing to invest in their lives long after they have graduated.
Dr. Battaglia lives in Roswell, Georgia, is married to Nancy Hart Battaglia, and has four children. His children include a daughter who graduated from the nursing program at FSU, a daughter who is a third grade teacher, a son who is a paramedic and two-time recipient of the Bronze Star, and a son who was an All-American football player at the University of Louisville (leading the nation in tackles for two years in a row) and now is a Golden Globe-winning actor in Hollywood.
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Visiting Faculty Spotlight |
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Dr. Kelly Russell is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology. Kelly earned her Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in 2021. Her primary areas of expertise include economic and political sociology, specifically the politics of social policy and the role of market discourses and mechanisms in social service provision. Kelly's research has appeared in Politics and Society and the London School of Economics’ USAPP — American Politics and Policy forum, and her work has received funding from the National Science Foundation and the Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy.
Kelly teaches several core Sociology courses in the department, including Social Problems, Research Methods, and Sociological Theory. In the classroom, she aims to make the social world legible to her students, while also instilling in them the critical thinking skills necessary to question entrenched ideas and social structures. Her courses draw students’ attention to the politics of complex social issues past and present, from modernization, industrialization, and the rise of capitalism to contemporary patterns of income, racial, and gender inequality. In these courses, students also learn how to become smart consumers of social research and how to conduct their own research.
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Dr. Katie Tindell is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology, where she enoys teaching both majors and non-majors. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin - River Falls and both her Master's and Ph.D. degrees in Sociology from Florida State University (Ph.D. 2021). Her primary research interests center on workplace inequality and, in particular, on workplace bullying.
Katie teaches several key courses in the department, including Introduction to Sociology, Marriage and Family, and Statistics. Through her teaching, Katie works to move undergraduate students towards a deeper understanding of social life. In her introductory course, where many students are exposed for the first time to the principles of social organization, she draws on examples that resonate with them and strives to help them make connections between sociological theories and concepts and their own lives. In her marriage and family course, she seeks to harness students’ fascination with dating, childhood, and other family issues and apply it to the task of understanding the data on which sociologists rely and how they draw conclusions about today's families. In her statistics course, she works to overcome hesitations that students have about their quantitative abilities by situating her lessons in the context of issues that are relevant to their lives and intriguing to them.
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We are sad to report the unexpected passing of our former Office Manager, Christina (Christy) Crotty. |
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Christina (Christy) Marie Crotty (1969-2021) passed away on November 4, 2021. Born in Miami, Christy was a long-time resident of Tallahassee and a devoted member of the FSU community. Christy was the first person in her family to graduate from college, receiving her BS in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences from FSU in 2009. She went on to receive a graduate certificate in Public Administration and recently had begun working towards a Master of Science degree in Demography. She served in several departments at FSU, including our own, and passed away while serving as the Senior Administrative Specialist in Public Administration and Policy.
Christy was an outstanding employee and a caring coworker and friend. She had a brilliant mind and she always stood as a strong advocate for staff and students and anyone with less power. She was passionate about social justice and equality and she was an ardent feminist, actively supporting and mentoring those around her. She was an amazing, talented woman and will be greatly missed by all who knew her. We offer our deepest condolences to her family and friends.
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Sociologists for Women in Society is a national feminist organization committed to promoting social justice, the development of sociological feminist scholarship, and feminist leadership.
Tallahassee’s local chapter of Sociologists for Women in Society hosted two virtual events during the Fall semester. In September, we met on Zoom for a presentation and a Q & A session with Dr. Mindy Stombler, a graduate of our PhD program and editor of the best-selling Sex Matters: The Sexuality and Society Reader, to discuss challenges to conducting sex research. In October, we met to discuss an article recently published in Gender & Society – “We’ve come a long way, guys!: Rhetorics of Resistance to the Feminist Critique of Sexist Language” (Kleinman, Copp, & Wilson 2021).
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The FSU Chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta Honors Society, the International Sociology Honors Society, was created in 1949. FSU Sociology professor Dr. Raymond Bellamy, for whom our building is named, was among the charter members.
The annual AKD induction ceremony was held on December 7th. We welcomed two amazing new undergraduate members into our chapter: Emily Pacenti and Katherine Upton. Following the ceremony, Emily and Katherine joined doctoral students Tara Henry, Hailey McGee, Ploy Methakitwarun, and Tyler Bruefach for a discussion about pursuing graduate studies in sociology.
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The Newest Addition to our Department |
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Anika Sanyal Mookherjee was born December 9, 2021 at 5:17 pm (6 lbs. 7 oz., 19 inches). She and her mother Dr. Paromita Sanyal are doing well and settling into new routines at home with her father Mainak Mookherjee and big brother Aneesh.
The name Anika is derived from a Sanskrit word, which means "a fearless person, or fighter." Her home/ informal name is Jhinook, which means "seashell."
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Invited Lectures and Talks (Fall 2021) |
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Dr. Sara Curran (University of Washington) was invited to give the annual Charles B. Nam Lecture in the Sociology of Population via Zoom in November. Dr. Curran delivered a highly engaging presentation to faculty and students (at FSU and beyond) entitled , "Investigating Migration Dynamics: Bridging the Theory and Evidence Gap."
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Dr. Bob Hummer (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) gave one of our first in-person brown bags of the year. He delivered an exciting lunch-time talk to a packed room. His presentation and Q&A session focused on, "Innovations in Data Collection for Understanding the Life Course: The Past, Present and Future of the Add Health."
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The Department started a new Young Alumni Lecture Series this fall. We hosted two wonderful lectures via Zoom:
Dr. TehQuin Forbes (University of Florida; FSU Ph.D. 2021) and Lawrence Stacey (Ohio State University; FSU M.S. 2018), spoke on "Feeling Like a Fetish: How Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Men of Color Feel Race Online and Offline."
Dr. Harry Barbee (Vanderbilt University; FSU Ph.D. 2020) spoke on "Subjective Health and Aging among Sexual and Gender Minorities: Recent Developments in a Burgeoning Field."
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Recent Faculty Transitions (Summer 2021 - Fall 2021) |
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Dr. Anne Barrett finished her second term as Director of the Pepper Institute (thank you for 6 wonderful years of leadership!). In August, she handed over the position to Dr. Miles Taylor.
Dr. Amy Burdette, who had already served as Director of the Bachelor's in Public Health program, became Director of the newly redesigned COSSP Public Health Program (combined MPH and BSPH programs).
Dr. Katrinell Davis was appointed to serve as the Associate Director of FSU's interdisciplinary African American Studies Program.
Dr. Patricia Homan was appointed to serve as the Associate Director of FSU's interdisciplinary Public Health Program.
Dr. Paromita Sanyal was elected to serve as the department's first Director of Graduate Recruitment and Admissions.
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Recent Faculty Achievements, Awards, and Honors
(Summer 2021 – Fall 2021)
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Dr. Dawn Carr was selected as one of six in the inaugural class of the FSU Faculty Fellows Program. She is working with the Office of Research to to develop infrastructure and an initial project to catalyze expertise in aging across the Pepper Institute on Aging and Public Policy, the Claude Pepper Center and the Institute for Successful Longevity.
Dr. Matt Hauer delivered an invited lecture entitled, " Impassable during high water: Modeling the impact of sea level rise on commuting time" at both Columbia University and the University of Miami.
Dr. Patricia Homan delivered an invited lecture, "Measurement and Health Consequences of Structural Racism, Sexism, and Intersectionality," at a Center for Aging and Policy Studies (CAPS) Seminar sponsored by Cornell, Syracuse, and University of Albany. She also delivered an invited lecture, "Structural Sexism and Health in the United States," to the Department of Sociology at Queens College (SUNY).
Dr. Irene Padavic and colleagues delivered an invited lecture entitled, "Explaining the Persistence of Gender Inequality: The Work–family Narrative as a Social Defense against the 24/7 Work Culture" at Boston College.
Dr. Deana Rohlinger delivered an invited plenary presentation entitled, "Trump and SMO Social Media Use on the Left and Right" at the Mobilization Conference: 25th Anniversary Celebration Symposium conducted at the meeting of Collective Behavior Social Movements. She also delivered an invited virtual lecture, "Social Media + Democracy: Are WE More Connected or Divided?" at Power of WE and an invited virtual lecture, "Social Movements & Digital Media," at Hofstra University.
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Recent Faculty Grants and Contracts
(Summer 2021 – Fall 2021)
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Dr. Karin Brewster was awarded a contract to conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment for Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare (2021-2022, Total award $41,555).
Dr. Dawn Carr received summer COFRS funding from the Council on Research and Creative Activity at FSU for her study, "Financial and health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic among older Americans: An evaluation of risks, resilience, and racial disparities” (2021, Total award $20,000).
Dr. Dawn Carr and colleagues received a research grant from the Social Security Administration for their project, "Creating a Public Resource: O*NET Job Characteristics Dataset for use with The Health and Retirement Study and Other Surveys” (Total award $150,000). In another project, Dr. Carr and colleagues received a grant from the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) via the Advanced Respiratory Research for Equite (AiRE) - AZ-PRIDE Program to complete work on “The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Older Black and Hispanic Adults: The Relationship between Health and Work Outcomes” (2021, Total award $23,000).
Dr. Patricia Homan and a collaborator received funding for their project, "Structural Racism and Trajectories of Disease and Disability in Later Life" through a CPHA Pilot Grant via an NIA P30 Grant to Duke University Center for Population Health and Aging (CPHA) (2022-2023, Total award $43,497).
Dr. John Reynolds and a co-investigator received a Multidisciplinary Support Grant from the Council on Research and Creative Activity at FSU for their study, "Fostering Social Connection to Support Mental Health and Academic Outcomes Among First-Year College Students" (2021-2022, Total award $25,000).
Dr. Deana Rohlinger and colleagues (including Sociology doctoral candidate Kyle Rose) were awarded funding from the FSU Institute of Politics for support of their project "Do Twitter Bans Matter? Exploring the Consequences of Account Suspensions on Public Discourse and Misinformation Spread" (2021-2022, Total award $20,000).
Dr. Miles Taylor was awarded funding by the Florida Department of Transportation to conduct research for the Safe Mobility for Life Coalition (2021, Total award $318,000).
Dr. Miles Taylor and Dr. Dawn Carr received an R24 award from the National Institutes of Health for their project, “Education, Psychological Resilience, and Cognitive Decline in Later Life" (Total award $69,300)
Dr. Koji Ueno received summer COFRS funding from the Council on Research and Creative Activity at FSU for his study, "Perceptions of Workplace Climate Among LGBQ Young Adult Workers in Japan: Cross-Cultural Comparison to US Research” (2021, Total award $20,000).
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Recent Faculty Appointments and Elections
(Summer 2021 – Fall 2021)
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Dr. Anne Barrett was appointed to co-chair the Membership Committee of the United Faculty of Florida-Florida State University.
Dr. Shantel Buggs was appointed to the Editorial Board of Journal of Marriage and Family and elected to the Publications Committee of the Southern Sociological Society.
Dr. Deana Rohlinger was elected Chair of the American Sociological Association's Section on Collective Behavior and Social Movements.
Dr. Sourabh Singh was appointed to the Nominations Committee of the Comparative Historical Sociology section of the American Sociology Association.
Dr. John Taylor was appointed to the Editorial Board for Society and Mental Health.
Dr. Koji Ueno was appointed to the Editorial Board for Journal of Health and Social Behavior.
Dr. Miranda Waggoner was elected to be a Council Member of the American Sociological Association's Section on Body & Embodiment (2021–2024). Dr. Waggoner also was appointed as a member of the Reeder Award Committee for the American Sociological Association Section on Medical Sociology (2021).
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Recent Graduate Student Achievements, Awards and Honors (Summer 2021 – Fall 2021) |
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Ploy Methakitwarun, a second-year doctoral student, was appointed Listserv Coordinator for the Sociology of Population section of the American Sociological Association (2021-2023).
Ladanya Ramirez Surmeier, a fourth-year doctoral candidate, was awarded the 2021 FSU Rosalia Gonzales Award. This highly competitive award recognizes outstanding contributions to the FSU community related to sharing and upholding the principles and ideals of the Latinx culture. Ladanya also just accepted a full-time Specialized Teaching Faculty position in FSU's interdisciplinary Public Health Program. The position will start in August 2022.
Kyle Rose, a third-year doctoral candidate, and collaborators (including Dr. Deana Rohlinger) were awarded a Civic Engagement and Political Participation Research Grant from the FSU Institute of Politics (2021-2022, Total award $20,000).
Rwiti Roy, a third-year doctoral candidate, was awarded a Civic Engagement and Political Participation Research Grant from the FSU Institute of Politics (2021-2022, Total award $20,000).
Kyle Saunders, a fourth-year doctoral candidate, and Dr. Dawn Carr recently had an article accepted for publication in The Gerontologist. Citation: Saunders, R. Kyle and Dawn C. Carr. Forthcoming "Social Support and Depressive Symptoms Among Men and Women With Same-Sex Experiences in Later Life."
Rachel Sparkman, a third-year doctoral candidate, has accepted a part-time Graduate Research Assistant position with the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago (NORC).
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Recent Undergraduate Student Awards and Honors |
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Alec Jimenez graduated with Honors in the Major.
Raymond Meyers graduated with Honors in the Major.
Jessica Short was awarded the FSU Outstanding Senior Scholar Award. She successfully completed the University Honors Program and the Honors in the Major program, and graduated Summa Cum Laude (GPA of 3.9 or higher).
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Recent Alumni Awards (Summer 2021 – Fall 2021)
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Dr. Robert (Bob) Hummer (Ph.D. 1993) and Angela Riley Santone (B.S. 1993) were awarded two out of four Distinguished Alumni Awards given by FSU's College of Social Sciences and Public Policy in 2020.These awards were given in recognition of their professional achievements, contributions to society, and support of the college and university. Due to pandemic-related restrictions, the awards ceremony was held this fall. What a well-deserved honor!
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Dr. Bob Hummer with his graduate school mentors, Dr. Charles Nam and Dr. Ike Eberstein. |
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Angela Riley Santone with Dr. Tim Chapin, Dean of the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. |
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Dr. Rosemary Magee (B.A. 1973) was recently awarded one of four Distinguished Alumni Awards given by FSU's College of Social Sciences and Public Policy in 2021. The 2021 recipients will be celebrated at an event in the Spring. Another very well-deserved honor!
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Dr. Robyn Lewis Brown (Ph.D. 2010) was awarded a 2021-2022 Switzer Fellowship from the National Institute of Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). This prestigious award is given to only four scholars each year, nationwide. Dr. Brown is currently an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Kentucky
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Recent Alumni News (Summer 2021 – Fall 2021) |
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Dr. Jennifer Brailsford (Ph.D. 2016) was part of a research team at the UF College of Medicine at Jacksonville that was awarded $1.46 million as part of a three-year grant sponsored by the SAMHSA Emergency Department Alternatives to Opioids Demonstration Program. The aim of the program is to develop and implement alternatives to opioids for pain management in emergency rooms.
Dr. Elyse Claxton (Ph.D. 2019) recently took an applied position at Dell Boomi.
Dr. Ryon Cobb (Ph.D. 2013) received funding from the Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Association for his study, "Gene-Environment Interaction in Renal Aging Among Older Blacks and Whites" (Total Amount: $294,217) and from the Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research for his project, "Early Life Adversity, Perceived Control, and Renal Aging Among Older Blacks Agency" (Total Amount: $27,000).
Dr. Kristen Erichsen (Ph.D. 2020) took a new position as a Research Analyst for the FL Department of Elder Affairs.
Dr. Pina Valle Holway (Ph.D. 2013) gave birth this summer to baby Cora, who joins big sister Emma and brother Ethan. Congratulations to Dr. Holway and her family!
Dr. Amanda Koontz (Ph.D. 2011) and coleagues have received funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation for a project that will identify systemic gender inequities impacting STEM faculty at UCF (2021-2023, Total award $300,000).
Dr. Andrew Mannheimer (Ph.D. 2016) was promoted to the position of Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Clemson University.
Dr. Amanda Nix (Ph.D. 2017) gave birth this summer to her third child, Benjamin. Congratulations to Dr. Nix and her family!
Dr. Lacey Ritter (Ph.D. 2017) accepted a new position as an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Mount Mercy University in Iowa.
Roger Robinson, M.S. recently took a position as a Deputy Director for Children & Family Services in Nebraska. He oversees all programs and services in Nebraska that focus on Protection & Safety, Child Support, and Economic Assistance.
Dr. David Russell (Ph.D. 2007) was awarded funding through the Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging (INRPHA; National Institute on Aging) for his study, "Home and Community Dementia Supports (HANDS): Rural Appalachian Caregiver Experiences" (2021-2022, Total award $14,388). Dr. Russell and a colleague also received funding from the Altman Foundation for their project, "Ensuring the Safety of the Home Health Aide Workforce and the Continuation of Essential Patient Care Through Sustainable Pandemic Preparedness" (2021, Total award $75,000).
Dr. Jessica Tice (Ph.D. 2008) recently took a position with the Florida Department of Health after spending 12 years in research and evaluation at the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. She is now directing the Systems Information Management unit of the Children’s Medical Services.
Dr. Christian Vaccaro (Ph.D. 2011) recently was appointed the Director of the Administration and Leadership Studies Research and Training Center at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Noah Webb (Ph.D. 2018) recently took a position as a Lead Analyst with Optum in their Division of Health Economics and Outcomes Research.
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Our fundraising efforts have been a huge success this year! This fundraiser, along with some additional direct donations to the department, raised over $8000 that can be used for graduate student recruitment and supplemental educational experiences for both graduate and undergraduate students. We truly appreciate your generosity and your commitment to invest in the next generation of scholars and professionals!
Here we would like to extend our deepest appreciation to those who donated during the fundraising campaign or directly to us over the summer and fall months. We couldn't do it without you!
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- Dr. Anne Barrett
- Dr. Carmen and Ms. Nancy Battaglia
- Dr. Rolf Blank
- Dr. Ken Boutwell
- Dr. Shantel Buggs
- Drs. Stephanie and Gregory Burge
- Dr. Dawn Carr
- Dr. Lynn Cossman and Mr. Randy Quinn
- Mr. Frank Coto and Ms. Nicole Coto
- Ms. Candice D'Angelo
- Dr. Tina Deshotels
- Dr. Isaac Eberstein and Ms. Nancy Eberstein
- Ms. Robyn Faucy
- Dr. Katy Glasgow
- Dr. Metin Guven and Ms. Sacide Guven
- Dr. Pina Valle Holway and Mr. Andrew Holway
- Dr. Robert Hummer and Ms. Dawn Hummer
- Dr. Gloria Lessan
- Dr. Rosemary Magee and Mr. Ronald Grapevine
- Ms. Yuki Maynor
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- Dr. Steven McDonald
- Ms. Faye Merritt
- Dr. Charles Nam
- Dr. James Orcutt and Dr. Annette Schwabe
- Dr. Irene Padavic
- Drs. Jill and David Quadagno
- Ms. Ladanya Ramirez Surmeier
- Drs. George and Clyda Rent
- Dr. John Reynolds
- Dr. Teresa Roach
- Dr. Deana Rohlinger and Mr. Jack Rohlinger
- Mr. Kyle Rose
- Dr. David Russell
- Dr. Kelly Russell
- Dr. Edward Schafer
- Dr. Douglas Schrock
- Dr. Lisa Slattery Walker
- Dr. John Taylor and Dr. Cynthia Tie
- Dr. Miles Taylor
- Dr. Kathi Tillman
- Dr. Koji Ueno
- Dr. Miranda Waggoner
- Mr. Sam Watkins and Ms. Mary Ellen Pizzi
- Dr. Joseph Whitenton
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If you would like to support our student recruitment and training efforts, please donate today!
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Celebrations and Recognitions |
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During the summer and much of the fall semester, we were unable to hold many in-person meetings and celebrations, but we still found ways to come together to acknowledge important achievements and milestones. |
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The Department held a virtual celebration to honor the Summer 2021 graduation of Dr. TehQuin Forbes, Dr. Taylor Jackson, and Dr. Katie Tindell.
Faculty, staff, students and alumni turned out to celebrate this wonderful milestone (thanks to Dr. Schrock for thinking to take a picture!).
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Dr. Irene Padavic will be retiring during the Summer 2022 term, but she taught her last classes this Fall.
Faculty, staff and graduate students surprised Dr. Padavic with a celebration during her last-ever lecture as a full-time faculty member. Her undergrads were in on the surprise and thoroughly enjoyed the singing, cheering, and laughter. Dr. Padavic will be greatly missed in the classroom (and everywhere else)!
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We brought the Fall semester to a close with a wonderful in-person holiday party. We had an amazing chili lunch, fiercely competitive holiday cookie contest, mask decorating, and more. What a great way to close out the semester!
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We would love to hear from you. Please share any updates we can include in our next issue by clicking the button. |
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FSU Sociology Department | 850.644.6416 | 526 Bellamy | coss.fsu.edu/sociology |
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