From the Chair
What an amazing spring we’ve had this year! I’m not just talking about the wet spring snows that have teased us with the vision of a mild summer while closing the University to the delight or dismay of many. Read below about how this spring has been a time of talented students and faculty taking and teaching challenging classes, of developing new ideas and skills, of thesis and dissertation projects begun and finished, of faculty and graduate students’ exciting and productive research, and of innovative collaboration with colleagues across campus on world-class teaching, research and outreach.
Sociology has much to offer a rapidly changing world. That Sociology helps a positive difference in our society is shown by another year of impressive growth in our undergraduate major, by the innovative and diverse research of our graduate students, and by the many requests to our faculty to travel around the nation and the world to share their knowledge and expertise.
Many thanks to our students, faculty, staff, and alumni who have helped make this Spring semester a successful one!
Pete Taylor
Professor and Chair
Department Happenings
Setting the Bar
Sara Gill and Laura Raynolds created the Research Assistant Talent File, a new resource to highlight graduate students' expertise and connect them with faculty.
Mike Hogan, Lynn Hempel, Tara Opsal, and Pete Taylor led the charge this spring to finalize the soon-to-be-inaugurated Sociological Research Methods Certificate developed in response to student and employer feedback.
Mike Hogan, Tara Opsal, and ASC Matt VanderMeulen spearheaded updates to the Criminology and Criminal Justice curriculum including new courses requested by students.
Carmen Ruyle Hardy and Pete Taylor developed Sociology's 2018–2021 Communications Plan.
Welcome and Congratulations
Lavi Payne-Grauch joined our front office in January as an administrative assistant. He is also a student researcher for IRISS and a General Sociology major graduating this semester. "Although I’m not entirely sure what I’ll do right after graduation, eventually I’d like to go to graduate school and maybe become a teacher. I’m interested in studying either how globalization affects perceptions of sexuality and gender or minority communities in rural areas (though really there’s nothing stopping me from doing both). I’m an avid artist and martial arts practitioner when I’m not buried in schoolwork,” says Lavi.
Admissions Updates
Nearly 500 students admitted to CSU for Fall 2019 indicated Sociology on their applications. This is almost double from last year, due in part to CSU's participation in Colorado's first Free Application Day last fall. However, our department's numbers were already on the rise.
Thank you to ASCs Keri Canada and Matt VanderMeulen for representing Sociology at Choose CSU and other prospective student events and to Sara Gill, Carmen Ruyle Hardy, and Pete Taylor for meeting with prospective students during family visits.
Admissions reached out to Sociology about two upcoming blog posts on experiential learning and major comparisons. Thank you Tara Opsal for helping with content.
"Good afternoon, I met with you a few weeks ago when I was touring Colorado State. I wanted to let you know that I committed to CSU and am beyond excited to be a part of this university and, specifically, the Department of Sociology. Again, thank you for meeting with me and go Rams!" – an excited Fall 2019 student
Coming Together to Learn & Grow
Spring 2019 Sociology-in-Progress Colloquia:
Douglas Jackson-Smith, Professor and Assistant Director, School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, presented "Truth or Dare? Science, Facts, and the Role of a Public Land Grant University in the 21st Century" on February 11 in LSC 308–10. CSU's Office of Engagement co-sponsored this event, and Sociology successfully livestreamed the talk to make it accessible to Extension agents around the state.
Alida V. Merlo, Professor, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, presented "The Evolution of Juvenile Justice: Developing a Trauma-Informed Care Approach" on April 3 in LSC 372.
In partnership with Political Science:
M.A. and Ph.D. Alumni Panel: Non-Academia Careers in the Social Sciences was held March 29 in Clark A205. Sociology alumni were Becca Eman '17 (M.A.), Data Analyst, Division of Youth Services, Colorado Department of Human Services, and Janis Johnston '06 (Ph.D.), Social Science Analyst, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service. Poli Sci alumni were Stratis Giannakouros '13 (M.A.), Director, Office of Sustainability and the Environment, The University of Iowa, and Catherine Olukotun '09 (M.A.), Chief Financial Officer, Colorado Division of Water Resources. Shelly Reed from the CSU Career Center was also on the panel. Lynn Hempel, Sara Gill, and Julie Pinkston worked with CSU's Poli Sci and Graduate School to make this event happen.
Co-sponsored by Sociology:
The ACT Human Rights Film Festival was held April 5–13 at the LSC and The Lyric. CSU's Department of Communication Studies organizes ACT annually as the only university-produced, international film festival in the Rocky Mountain west dedicated to human rights issues.
Andreas Ytterstad of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway, and current Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Environmental Journalism, CU-Boulder, presented "The Uprising of Good Sense: Climate Jobs and the Green New Deal" on April 22 in LSC 322. CSU's Environmental Justice Working Group organized the event.
Undergraduate Happenings
Carina Solis-Roman chosen as CLA Commencement speaker
Carina Roman-Solis chose CSU because it felt like home after spending many summers here with her high school’s Upward Bound program. This spring she took the podium as she walked the stage. Carina is one of two students chosen for what is a first in recent history—student speakers at CLA commencement, one spoke at each of the two CLA ceremonies.
Carina is graduating with a double-major in General Sociology and Spanish - Languages, Literatures, and Cultures.
“She is everything we hope for in a student,” says Lynn Hempel, Associate Professor of Sociology. “I think the world of her.”
The feeling seems to be mutual. Carina mentioned Dr. Hempel and Sociology's Intersectionality class as two of her CSU favorites.
Noel Strapko, Sociology instructor, says Carina always came to that class prepared, really thought about and engaged with course material, and her papers were always thoughtful, well-written, and insightful.
Carolina Banuelos, Carina's Upward Bound advisor and now a Sociology Ph.D. student says,"Carina makes her ideas and wants a reality (graduating early, pursuing opportunities abroad, getting an assistantship for grad school) all while bringing her family and communities along."
Seventeen students inducted into AKD, Sociology's International Honor Society
Alpha Kappa Delta inductees, their friends and families, and many Department of Sociology members filled LSC's Longs Peak Room the afternoon of April 13 for the department's annual ceremony honoring the newest members of AKD.
Fall 2018–Spring 2019 initiates:
Caitlyn Grace Aguirre
Topazio Holguin Aranda
Alberto Busch
Audrey Caple
Carolyn P. Conant (grad student)
Chase Joseph Dukes
Taylor Ehrlich
Rachel Haderle
Brooke Ashley Hernandez
Jianheng Huang
Sierra Hunt
Christian Myers
Rachel Owusu
Phillip Ponce
Megan Hannah Rutberg
Serena Smith
Xiaoyan Wang
Robert Antonio, Sociology professor at University of Kansas, and a distinguished member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars gave an inspiring keynote address.
KuoRay Mao organized the event to honor students' hard work and achievements while offering them the opportunity to publicly thank faculty who've helped them throughout their college careers.
Sociology student-veteran Priscilla Duron featured in CSU magazine
This spring CSU featured four student-veterans in its print and online magazine for alumni and friends of the university.
From the article "Military Intelligence" by CSU External Relations:
Priscilla Duron is another standout. A 33-year-old senior in criminology/sociology, Duron admitted she never cared about school and barely graduated from high school in her hometown of Fort Collins. Now, this former Army mechanic is attending CSU as a first-generation student. She mentors fellow student-veterans, carries a 3.35 grade point average, is aiming for a perfect GPA, and has her eye on law school—while also maintaining a household with her husband and parenting two elementary-aged children.
“When I think about walking across that stage at graduation to get my diploma, with my kids watching, I get very emotional,” Duron said. “I will be proving to them that anything is possible.”
She served for nine years as an Army mechanic working on “anything with wheels,” from forklifts to Humvees. She was deployed to Iraq and later stationed in Japan. Her husband is also a former service member. She is pictured with her children, Azaria, 8, and Jesus, 9.
“I want to thank KuoRay Mao, the AKD officers and Carmen Ruyle Hardy for all their wonderful work to organize a very successful and well-attended 13th AKD Annual Induction Ceremony last Saturday afternoon. I also much appreciated the strong turnout from our faculty, instructors and grad students in support of our new AKD honorees and their family and friends. Bob Antonio gave an inspiring keynote talk and I thought the program did a great job of showing Sociology’s strengths its commitment to our undergraduate students.” – Pete Taylor
Congratulations
Miyuki Gardner: Dr. Ronny E. Turner Memorial Scholarship Recipient
Miyuki is a freshman majoring in Criminology and Criminal Justice - Sociology, with minors in Japanese - Languages, Literatures & Cultures and Interdisciplinary Legal Studies - CLA.
Brooke Hernandez: Harvesting Opportunity and Potential in Education (HOPE) Scholarship Recipient
Brooke is a senior double majoring in Criminology and Criminal Justice - Sociology and Psychology, with a minor in Spanish - Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
Carina Solis-Roman: CLA Commencement Speaker
Carina is graduating with a double major in General Sociology and Spanish - Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
Scarlett White: Dr. Ronny E. Turner Memorial Scholarship Recipient
Scarlett is a junior majoring in Environmental Sociology.
Meghan Zehnder: Leadership Development & Communication Coordinator, CLA Student Ambassador Program
Meghan is an Honors student graduating with a double major in General Sociology and Organization & Innovation Management - Business Administration, with certificates in International Business and Managing Human Resources
"When I first signed up for this course I had no idea what sociology even was. This course has showed me how to look at issues and situations with a sociological eye. This helps me to examine the societal implications of issues and situations." – student in Elena Windsong's SOC 100 course
Josh Sbicca's course and former students featured in spring CLA magazine
The theme of CLA's spring magazine is how our many disciplines approach the topic of technology—not only how it impacts our research, but the impact technology has on society and the human experience.
Sociology students use drones to look at Fort Collins from a whole new perspective with Josh Sbicca in his Social Movements course. Click here for the spring issue and Sociology's article, "Drone-captured protest art about social inequality in the Choice City."
Graduate Student Happenings
Shawna Bendeck and India Luxton present at 2019 Western Social Science Association Conference
WSSA's 61st annual conference was held in San Diego in April.
Shawna Bendeck presented “The Effects of Aging Out of Foster Care on Social Capital and Life Outcomes: A Mixed Methods Study of Experiences and Outcomes.”
India Luxton (pictured) presented "Mapping Movements: A Call for Qualitative Social Network Analysis."
Bailey Mellott also attended the conference, and KuoRay Mao moderated six panels: Gender, Migration, and Transnational Spaces; Education and Social Stratification; Discourses, Conflicts, and Social Justice; Cultural Identities, Designations, and Community Health; Food Security, Well Being, and Global Communities; and The Political Economy of Urban Space.
CSU Sociology was also well-represented at ACJS, please see below.
Ph.D. student Alex Walker keynote speaker for 41st Annual Judge Conrad L. Ball Banquet
Alexandra Walker (right) was the invited speaker at the Judge Conrad L. Ball Banquet held April 26 at CSU's Canvas Stadium. The annual event honors a recipient who has significantly contributed toward improving the quality of criminal justice in Larimer County. Laurie Stolen (left) was recognized this year for increasing connections between mental health and criminal justice.
Alex is Vice Chairperson the Colorado State Board of Parole, appointed by Governer Hickenlooper in 2015. She is Director of Community Relations and Strategy at the Alliance for Criminal Justice Innovation, as well as a Research and Training Consultant for a Denver-area community corrections facility.
"Alexandra did a wonderful job as our keynote speaker. She’s the best!" said Tim Hand (center), Director of Larimer County Community Corrections.
Five present at Sociology's annual Graduate Student Symposium
Graduate students and Department of Sociology members filled LSC 312 on May 3 to discuss M.A. and Ph.D. students' recent projects and research.
India Luxton (co-author Josh Sbicca): "Mapping Movements: A Call for Qualitative Social Network Analysis"
Bailey Mellott:"Understanding First-Generation, Low-Income, Latino/a Student Networks: A Critical Exploration of Student Support at a Modern Land-Grant University"
Becca Clark-Hargreaves: "Hunger Strikes and Carceral Resistance: Embodied Struggle, Discourse, and the Political Meaning-Making of Hunger"
Chelsey Potter: "Plastic Fantastic Lover: A Content Analysis of the Online Deviant Community of Sex Doll Owners: Research Proposal"
Yan Shan: "Why the Chinese State Incorporates University-based Extension into its Agricultural Extension System?"
"Many thanks to Nefratiri, grad students and Carmen who put together today’s very successful and well-attended Graduate Research Symposium. India, Bailey, Becca, Chelsea and Yan did well-organized, interesting and thought-provoking presentations that highlighted the rich diversity of research going on in the Department. Thanks also to the faculty and grad students who came to support the presenters! Great work all!" – Pete Taylor
Defenses
Please join me in congratulating Becca Clark-Hargreaves on having successfully defended her thesis, “Hunger Strikes and Carceral Resistance: Discourse, Symbolic Contestation and the Political Meaning-Making of Hunger." Stellar work, Becca! – Josh Sbicca
Join me in congratulating Hannah Love in successfully defending her dissertation, entitled “The Social Process of Knowledge Creation in Science.” I’d like to thank her committee members, Dr. Michael Carolan, Dr. Jeff Nowacki, and Dr. Bailey Fosdick (Statistics), as well as members of our Science of Team Science team who have contributed to Hannah’s research, Dr. Ellen Fisher, Dr. Meghan Suter, and Dinaida Egan. Hannah Love will soon be joining IRISS for a 2-year position doing more work related to the science of team science. Even though you won’t see her in Clark as much, you will still see her around campus. – Jeni Cross
Please join me in congratulating Remo Macartney on the successful defense of his Master's thesis, "Dramaturgy and Gender Performance in Fitness Spaces." Remo's thesis builds on the work of Goffman, West & Zimmerman, and Butler to explore the how the use of props in various gym changes the body so that it is intelligible and becomes part of the actor's performance. Dr. KuoRay Mao and Dr. Courtney Daum served on his committee and the late Dr. Peter Hall worked closely with Remo in developing his thesis. Congratulations Remo on your success! – Lynn Hempel
Please join me in congratulating Megan Parks for the successful defense of her thesis, "Legal Financial Obligations: A Focal Concerns Perspective." Also thanks to all of the graduate students and faculty members who attended Megan's defense. In particular, thanks to Prabha Unnithan and Shannon Hughes for serving on Megan's committee, providing her with feedback and assistance. – Jeff Nowacki
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Claudia Rosty who successfully defended her Ph.D. dissertation “Fair Trade Certified Coffee Estates: Can Fair Trade USA Promote Workers’ Well-Being, Empowerment and Gender Equity in Brazilian and Nicaraguan Coffee Plantations?” We are very proud of our new Sociology Ph.D.! Thanks go to Claudia's dissertation committee, Michael Carolan, Lynn Hempel, and Dimitris Stevis. – Laura Raynolds
Stacia Ryder successfully defended her dissertation, entitled "Mutliscalar Power, Conflict, and Procedural Justice in Regulating Colorado's Unconventional Oil and Gas Production" on May 10. A special thank you to her other committee members—KuoRay Mao, Lori Peek, and Michele Betsill from Political Science. Stacia has accepted a two-year postdoc at the University of Exeter, working with Patrick Devine-Wright on UK outcomes of hydraulic fracturing. She will be an amazing addition to their team! – Stephanie Malin
Recent Endeavors
Sneha Kadyan is a research assistant for the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences (IRISS). She develops and implements surveys, data management, analysis and report compilation for CSU's Department of History.
Sneha Kadyan served as an interviewer in April and May for fellow graduate student Carolina Banuelos's Ph.D. data collection.
India Luxton received a 2018 Education Abroad Curriculum Integration Support Grant to travel to Costa Rica over winter break and conduct a program evaluation of CSU’s Costa Rica Sustainable Buildings course (CON 450). A theme that emerged was the importance of engaging construction management students in addressing community problems. Preliminary results of her ethnographic approach and social network analysis indicate that the collaboration between community members and students was seen to advance their learning of sustainable construction methods as well as the need to engage stakeholders in the process.
Congratulations
Kellie Alexander: Sociology Alumni Scholarship Recipient
Carolyn Conant’s paper, "The Legacy of Classical Sociological Theory: Androcentrism and Universalism In the Tradition of the Canon," has been accepted for inclusion in the CSU Anthropology Graduate Student Society's 9th edition of the online journal Furthering Perspectives. "The paper displays great rigor, sophistication, and engagement with sociological theory and the canon in particular." – excerpt from the reviewer
Azmal Hossan has been accepted for CSU's Interdisciplinary Training, Education, and Research in Food-Energy-Water Systems (InTERFEWS) program. Dr. Stephanie Malin worked to secure National Science Foundation (NSF) funding for CSU (scroll this article), and will be his program mentor. Azmal is one of only eight CSU Ph.D. students selected. His four-year training begins this fall.
Azmal Hossan: Sociology Alumni Scholarship Recipient
Austin Luzbetak: Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Assistant Award
Noel Strapko: Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award
Carolyn Conant's paper, "From Extractive to Nonconsumptive Natural Resource Dependency: Transitions, Traditions, and Traps in Three Southeastern Utah Towns." – Outstanding Graduate Student Paper Award
Sneha Kadyan: Graduate Student Research Excellence Award
Becca Clark-Hargreaves: Sociology Graduate Scholarship in Social Change
This Summer
Carolyn Conant will be the Climate Action Plan Assistant in the Environmental Services Department, City of Fort Collins. She will help coordinate endeavors related to climate change mitigation and adaptation with a focus on social equity. "The City is doing some really great stuff in this arena and I'm so excited to be a part of it!"
Sneha Kadyan received CSU Extension's "Food and Ag Business Curriculum" 10-week internship. Based on survey research with local businesses in Colorado, she will set up training curriculum for food and agricultural businesses. In October, she will participate in the Poster Presentation at the annual Extension Forum.
News From Research Centers & Teams
On Campus & Beyond
The Center for Fair and Alternative Trade conducts a study of handicraft groups in India and Nepal, and more
CFAT continues to pursue its interlocking research, teaching, and outreach activities focusing on local, national, & global market-based approaches to alleviating poverty & promoting sustainable development.
The center also continues to advance its education, outreach, and engagement agenda training graduate students, guiding individual and collaborative research projects, and connecting academic, policymaker, citizen, activist, business, and philanthropic communities via presentations, consultancies, and other forums.
China’s Research Center for the Rural Economy Delegation visits campus, signs historic memorandum
KuoRay Mao, Lou Swanson, and Pete Taylor hosted two delegates from China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in March.
“The Research Center for the Rural Economy is the highest level policy institute of its kind in China," said Swanson, Professor of Sociology and CSU's Vice President of Engagement and Director of Extension. "We are excited to pursue mutual exchanges and share policy insights and implications.”
KuoRay Mao was a nominee for the 2019 CSU Provost’s Council Community Engagement Emerging Scholarship Award. Thank you to Chelsey Potter for representing him at the luncheon.
Enriched Aging launches website
Jeni Cross's Enriched Environments for Healthy Aging research team launched its website this spring.
This team receives funding through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), CSU's Office of the Vice President of Research's Catalyst for Innovative Partnerships (CIP) initiative, and other sources.
India Luxton is the project manager for the team. Bailey Mellott attends B Sharp symphony events and collects field notes to help the team better understand how the social component promotes social wellbeing and connectedness.
IRISS provides services to the National Science Foundation ERC, hosts SOC alumnus speaker, and more
Have you seen the The Walking Dead? The television series isn't real, but have you ever wondered what happens in the "real world" when a deadly virus breaks out? In April the IRISS Facilitation team worked with scientists from NSF’s Engineering Research Center who want to develop vaccines and solutions for instances when viruses break out around the globe.
SPHEReS hosts future scientists, and is featured by USGBC+
Jeni Cross's Sustainable Places, Health and Educational Research in Schools (SPHEReS) research team hosted 52 fourth-graders from Northglenn's STEM Lab in January.
SPHEReS partners with Adams 12 Schools to examine the impact of school environment on occupant health and performance. Funded by the EPA, the Healthy Schools project is the first time that epidemiologists, sociologists, economists, and sustainability experts have collaborated at this scale to address this question.
STEM Lab is one of three schools where teachers have embraced the project by embedding it in Problem-Based Learning, a teaching method that empowers students to solve real-world problems.
The U.S. Green Building Council recently featured Cross and STEM Lab in their print and online magazine.
Faculty Happenings
Awards & Honors
Michael Carolan was selected for a Fulbright Distinguished Chair Award to conduct a cross-cultural comparison between Canada and the U.S. studying the impacts of digital agriculture.
Jeni Cross was chosen for the 2018–2019 College of Liberal Arts Excellence in Teaching Award - Tenured Faculty.
Pat Hastings was awarded an Ann Gill Faculty Development Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity by CLA for his proposal, "Rethinking Consumption Inequality: Investigating Differences by Types of Consumption and Consumers."
Pat Mahoney was recognized as a Scholar Contact at CSU's Community for Excellence (C4E) 8th Annual Celebration of Graduates Ceremony. "You have helped me figure out how to think sociologically. I believe that has led me to understand the world in a better way," said his C4E student Zain Rana.
Tara Opsal was awarded an Ann Gill Faculty Development Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity by CLA for her project, "Penitentiaries on the Plains: Rural Economies, Identities, and the Carceral State."
Laura Raynolds was named a Resident Faculty Fellow by CSU’s School of Global Environmental Sustainability (SoGES). She will investigate how a sustainable livelihood approach is used to pursue social and environmental goals in non-governmental certification
Josh Sbicca was named a Resident Faculty Fellow by CSU’s School of Global Environmental Sustainability (SoGES). He will study the potential for prisons to advance food justice through gardening and food production in the United States.
Prabha Unnithan was one of two winners of CLA's 2018–2019 John N. Stern Distinguished Professor Awards.
Prabha Unnithan has been elected 2019–2020 president of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS).
Books
A Primer of Permutation Statistical Methods
Ken Berry, Janis E. Johnston ('16 Ph.D.), and Paul Wand Mielke, Jr. just published their latest textbook.
Water Crises and Governance: Reinventing Collaborative Institutions in an Era of Uncertainty
Pete Taylor and David Sonnenfeld's recent book has been released in paperback.
Publications
Jeni Cross is co-author of "Addressing the Infrastructure Decay Rate in US Cities: the Case for a Paradigm Shift in Information and Communication" published in Part XI The Role of Urban Planning and Public Policies in the edited volume Routledge Handbook of Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure.
Jeni Cross and colleagues published "Trouble with Sense of Place in Working Landscapes" in Society & Natural Resources.
Pat Hastings published “Who Feels It? Income Inequality, Relative Deprivation, and Financial Satisfaction in U.S. States, 1973–2012.” in Research in Social Stratification and Mobility.
Pat Hastings and his co-author have released the working paper, "Family Structure and Parental Investments: Economic Resources, Commitment, and Inequalities in Financial Investments in Children," they wrote as part of the US 2050 $51K grant they received last fall.
Jessie Luna published “The Ease of Hard Work: Embodied Neoliberalism among Rocky Mountain Fun Runners” in Qualitative Sociology.
Stephanie Malin, Adam Mayer and colleagues published "Putting on partisan glasses: Political identity, quality of life, and oil and gas production in Colorado" in Energy Policy.
Stephanie Malin, Stacia Ryder, and a Poli Sci colleague published "Of mills and mines: an intercategorical critique of the hidden harms of natural resource boom and bust cycles in U.S. history" in Environmental Sociology.
Stephanie Malin and colleagues published "Relationships between indicators of cardiovascular disease and intensity of oil and natural gas activity in Northeastern Colorado" in Environmental Research.
Stephanie Malin and colleagues published "Embodied energy injustices: Unveiling and politicizing the transboundary harms of fossil fuel extractivism and fossil fuel supply chains" in Energy Research & Social Science.
Stephanie Malin co-authored "Embedding the atom: Pro-neoliberal activism, Polanyi, and sites of acceptance in American uranium communities" published in The Extractive Industries and Society.
Stephanie Malin and Adam Mayer published "How should unconventional oil and gas be regulated? The role of natural resource dependence and economic insecurity" in Journal of Rural Studies.
Stephanie Malin and Tara Opsal published “Prisons as LULUs: Understanding the Parallels between Prison Proliferation and Environmental Injustices” in Sociological Inquiry.
Josh Sbicca and Rebecca Shisler ('16 M.A.) published "Agriculture as Carework: The Contradictions of Performing Femininity in a Male-Dominated Occupation" in Society & Natural Resources.
Josh Sbicca published "Urban Agriculture, Revalorization, and Green Gentrification in Denver, Colorado" in The Politics of Land.
Mainstream Media Mentions
Research by Pat Hastings and his colleagues is mentioned in the The New York Times article "The Relentlessness of Modern Parenting."
Pat (Orestas) Hastings, his colleagues, and their research were included in "The Myth of Meritocracy," a Newsweek opinion piece by Robert Reich, former U.S. Secretary of Labor.
Well-Known For Their Expertise
Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty and Students
The Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) conference was held in Baltimore in March. “Justice, Human Rights, and Activism” was the theme of ACJS's 56th Annual Meeting.
Several faculty and graduate students along with one undergraduate attended and cheered on Prabha Unnithan as he was inducted as the 2019–2020 ACJS president.
Shown above from left: Ian Greenwood, Jeff Nowacki, Megan Parks, Prabha Unnithan, Danielle Creech, Chelsey Potter, Julia Kovac, and Kyler Lum.
Understanding the Impact of Politics and Community Characteristics on Sentencing Outcomes panel
Jeff Nowacki and Danielle Creech presented "Voter Suppression Policies and Federal Sentencing Outcomes" (shown below left).
Understanding the Pretrial Stages of Criminal Case Processing panel
Megan Parks presented "Legal Financial Obligations: A Focal Concerns Perspective."
Josh Sbicca
Boulder Weekly feature
Josh Sbicca and his recent book Food Justice Now! were featured in "Striving for a more equitable food system" in February.
Boulder Book Store event
Sbicca gave an author talk on the Pearl Street Mall in March, followed by a book signing. The event was sponsored by Boulder Food Rescue and various groups at CU.
ASA Section on Consumers & Consumption
Sbicca was interviewed about his recent book for the "Scholars' Conversation" series in March.
2019 Zero Waste Symposium
Sbicca gave the keynote address for the kickoff event Food Forward. He presented "Diving into Food Waste for Food Justice" at the LSC Theatre in April (shown above). Several CSU groups sponsored the symposium.
Food & Farm Justice Book Panel & Reception
Sbicca was one of five panelists for this event held at Busboys and Poets in Washington D.C. in April (shown below center). The event was the culmination of the Radical Food Geographies pre-conference that took place before the American Association of Geographers annual meeting.
Stephanie Malin
Medical Symposium: Health Effects of Oil and Gas Production
Stephanie Malin was a speaker at this invitation-only event held on campus in February. Front Range health and medical professionals came together to network and raise awareness. CSU's Environmental Justice Working Group, the Colorado School of Public Health, and Physicians for Social Responsibility co-hosted the symposium.
Social Justice and Climate Change Seminar
Malin was one of three panelists for the Warner College of Natural Resources Diversity and Inclusion Committee's event held on campus in April.
Managing the Planet: Changing the mindset around climate change: what we know, how we act, and why it takes so long
Malin was one of four panelists for this SOGeS-sponsored event held at Avo's in April.
Special edition from Colorado Water Institute
Malin and CSU's Environmental Justice Working Group guest edited a recent special issue of Colorado Water, in partnership with the Water Center. The articles come from some of the stellar and engaging presentations from the Fall 2017 "Stories of Water Equity and Environmental Justice" symposium held at CSU.
Contributing Near & Far
Michael Carolan and his Food Systems research team colleague Becca Jablonski presented “Rural-Urban Linkages Instead of Divides: Connecting Metropolitan Food Plans to the Countryside" in Clark A101 in March (shown above right). CSU's Department of English has been assigning his books to composition students for close to a decade. Carolan released The Food Sharing Revolution in December 2018.
Jeni Cross was invited to speak at the University of Miami (UM) in April after their Associate Provost for Research heard her speak elsewhere. Jeni's lecture "Solving Complex Problems Requires New Teams" addressed UM's interests in integrating students, community members, and communal ethics in research. A lunch and learn followed. "I have read some of your papers and seen your TED talk, and think that hearing about your work, strategies and experiences would just be terrific," said the UM professor in her invitation. (Jeni is shown top right presenting IRISS's TILT PDI session mentioned above.)
Lynn Hempel and CSU's Graduate School presented "Mentoring – building relationships that build careers" during CSU's 40th Annual Professional Development Institute (PDI) put on by The Institute for Learning and Teaching (TILT) in January at the LSC (shown below right). The session covered why have a mentor, the responsibilities of both parties, establishing and fostering the relationship, and using of the individual development plan (IDP) to get the most of a mentoring relationship.
Jessie Luna was an invited discussant for the session “Intersections of Interventions: On development, difference, dispossession and discourse” at the Dimensions of Political Ecology Conference in Lexington, Kentucky in February. She also presented a paper there, titled “Quantified Deservingness: a comparative political ecology of technological healthism.”
Pat Mahoney is a member of this spring's grant writing team for NSF's Smart and Connected Communities project through CSU's One Health Institute (shown center right). CSU's project proposal introduces a health-related information system to Longmont's community-based health care system. Pat's responsibilities are to design curricula to train prospective students to assist in coordinating and facilitating the use of Longmont's system.
Pete Taylor and David Sonnenfeld presented "Liberalism, Illiberalism and the Environment: an Exploration of Two Cases of Polycentric Water Governance” during the session on “Hidden Figures and the Worlding of Global Environmental Polics” at the International Studies Association annual convention held in Toronto in March.
Updates from Alumni & Donors
Please see above for updates on Becca Eman '17, Jesse Fagan '11, and Janis Johnston '06.
Alumni Survey This Fall
Sociology re-connected with alumni last fall by emailing a newsletter. This fall's newsletter will include a survey asking alumni about career paths and ways they'd like to be involved with current students. Please share your connections and ideas with Carmen.
On A Lighter Note
Bill & Jess make it official
After meeting in Baltimore, living apart in different states for four years, and then four more years living together on the Front Range, on April 7 Jess finally converted Bill Barton into an "honest guy." They both agree that it's been a long time coming and well worth the wait! Congratulations, newlyweds!
AKD National shares our induction as an example for other chapters to follow
Chapters are asked to send induction photos and materials to AKD National. KuoRay Mao received this reply, "WOW! Do you mind if I share the program and slides as an example/idea for other chapters? I really love that you highlighted each inductee. I think other chapters need to see this. Thank you for all you do for your students!"
Would you like statistics with your coffee?
According to the first two axioms of probability, the chance that Ken Berry, Janis Johnston, and Paul Mielke have co-authored a significant amount of textbooks is 100%, and the chance that they've consumed gallons of coffee together over the years is at least zero. The Rainbow has their textbooks handy for guests to enjoy while dining, and when Janis visited CSU for our alumni panel, Café Bluebird brought back her favorite dish as the weekend's special.
New ACJS president receives surprise message from CSU's new president
Prabha Unnithan received an impressive gavel as he took office as ACJS president, as well as a surprise email a few days later. “Dear President Unnithan: I write as one President to another! Congratulations on becoming the President of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences," said Joyce McConnell, CSU's incoming president.
University of Kansas reunite at CSU
Sociology: Because Life Is A Team Sport
–Lynn Hempel
Coming Up
This Friday, May 24: Sociology Potluck at City Park Area #7 from 2–5pm (Avo's if inclement weather)
August 22: Ram Welcome Department Meeting with incoming undergrads, followed by the Street Fair
August: Graduate Student Welcome, details coming soon
This Fall: Anabel Ipsen and Tony Roberts are joining us as Assistant Professors of Sociology, and Allison Cantwell is coming on board with IRISS.
Thank you for reading this newsletter.
Please continue to send news, ideas, and comments to Carmen Ruyle Hardy, Sociology Communications Coordinator.