March 2025
Tara Opsal has spent her career examining the criminal legal system and the consequences of sentencing and correctional policy. Her latest work with Larimer County Community Corrections is helping reshape programs for women in the system.
“I feel really lucky to be in a position where I’m doing research in an organization that is taking these research findings and implementing them to make direct policy and practice changes," Dr. Opsal told CSU Source for Women's History Month. The College of Liberal Arts selected her as the college's leading female reseacher.
Pat Hastings presented his research, "What’s a Parent to Do?
Socioeconomic Variation in Parenting Logics Measured with Computational Text Analysis" after his recent sabbatical as a visiting scholar at Sciences Po in Paris and Nuffield College at the University of Oxford.
Parenting behavior in the United States varies widely by socioeconomic status, but how much of this is due to differing cultural beliefs versus available resources? Dr. Hastings shared a novel approach to measuring the logics of parenting by using computational text analysis of parenting advice. His work shows there are fewer differences in how parenting logics vary by race/ethnicity, education, and income—and more variability within these groups—than is commonly understood.
James Hale, Research Director of Community Food Systems and Social Sustainability, has received one of CSU’s Small Democracy Grants for his project “Democratizing the Colorado Food Summit" that will convene over 30 food system leaders from across Colorado. Dr. Hale, Dr. Libby Christensen in CSU's Office of Engagement and Extension, and Dr. Tamanda Chavbuta from CSU's Center for Public Deliberation will lead efforts to make the 2026 Colorado Food Summit planning process more bottom up and to collectively determine the governance structure.
Congratulations to our Ph.D. candidates on their successful defenses!
Kellie Alexander: How Do You Do the Right Thing and Not Get Fired or Ruin Your Career?”: The Role of University Administrators in Hazing Prevention and Education
Sneha Kadyan: Enhancing Workplace Standards in Cotton Garment Manufacturing: Analyzing Fairtrade and Global Organic Textile Standards in India
Noel Strapko: The Stories of U.S.
Douglas Murray presented a keynote talk at the Changemakers Awards Ceremony at Simon Fraser University.
Jessie Harney organized CSU’s “Innovation Day” for public safety programs, and Tara Opsal was a keynote discussant.
Prabha Unnithan led the ACJS' Justice Evaluation Journal’s (JEJ) Annual Editorial Board Meeting. M.A. student Cassandra Olivarez is Journal Manager.
James Hale helped organize the Mile High Farmers Summit at CSU Spur.
Ph.D. student Azmal Hossan presented a paper about tribal climate change adaptation at the ASA Virtual Mini-Conference.
Ph.D. student Sneha Kadyan was invited to chair a session for the International Conference on Sustainability and Economic Integration organized by Manipal University, Jaipur, India.
Sidney Stadelmann, junior SOC major in our Environmental concentration, created and runs the Community for Climate Anxiety, an organization through the School of Global Environmental Sustainability (SoGES) Student Sustainability Center.
She recently led a breakout session at CSU's Climate Leadership Summit. More than 400 students in 8th through 12th grades from 19 Northern Colorado schools attended the summit, an event organized by the Sustainable Living Association in partnership with CSU’s Impact MBA, SoGES, and the Poudre School District.
SOC Alumni Spotlight: Brooke Hennessey
"I am currently a Sr. Specialist in the Environmental Services department at the City of Fort Collins. I am working directly on the development and implementation of a city-wide contracted trash and recycling program. This program has taught me how personal and individualistic system-wide changes can feel for folks in our community, and how important it is that folks feel comfortable and knowledgeable about the changes this program may bring. I am working to ensure that this program is communicated clearly and concisely with residents, and that this program is operating in ways that help the City to move towards our landfill diversion goals and provides increased opportunities for recycling and compost." – Brooke Hennessey, ('21)
"Sociology gives you a competitive edge. You’re looking at issues with a people approach as well as a natural science approach. You can work within systems and the social world around you while also understanding the physical world."
– Brooke Hennessey, ('21)
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