Professor, Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work
Brandeis University, Ph.D.
Brandeis University, M.A.
Portland State University, M.S.
University of Denver, B.A.
SOCI 201 Social Problems
SOCI 351 Criminology
SOCI 312 Sociological Theory
SOCI 441 Social Stratification
SOCI 402 Genocide
SOCI 395 War and Gender
SOCI 415 Sociology of Happiness
SOCI 505 Pro-Seminar
SOCI 499 Teaching Assistant in Sociology
SOCI 500 Independent Study in Sociology
SOCI 501 Research Assistant in Sociology
I grew up in Denver, Colorado and attended the University of Denver. A French major, I also studied at the University of Aix-Marseilles in southern France. Upon graduation I traveled to Madrid, Spain, then returned to the United States where I taught English as a Second Language (ESL) to immigrant groups in California, Ohio and Oregon. My work in ESL opened my eyes to structured inequality and the varied forms it took for my students, including labor exploitation, job and housing discrimination, food insecurity, poverty, limited health care, and sometimes physical violence. This is how I developed my interests in sociology and social inequality.
My Ph.D. dissertation examined the historic international prosecution of gendered war crimes that took place following the Bosnian War. I have presented and published works on gendered war violence and other topics, including an MCLA Mind’s Eye essay on teaching the sociology of happiness.
Broadly speaking, my teaching and research interests focus on contemporary social problems and identifying the sources of power inequality that produce them. My courses are organized around critical thinking and social justice principles. War, genocide, crime, poverty, slavery, environmental devastation and many other social problems are not new to the 21st century. Yet understanding the sources of conflict may be more important today than ever before. We must chart paths toward building more harmonious societies before it is too late. With this in mind, many of my courses examine how ordinary people contribute to extraordinary social change.
A solid liberal arts education is important for individual growth and success in the 21st century. I believe it is also a critical component of a broader project in education for human/global survival. These are some of the ideals that I emphasize in my classes and hope to impart to students.
Humanitarian Law and Gendered War Crimes Prosecution
Genocide Prevention Studies
Art and Social Protest
Global Happiness Studies
Visual Sociology and The Graphic Novel/Narrative
Teaching and Research Mentor. Kristen Hourigan Ph.D. Candidate SUNY Albany. “Victim Accounts of Forgiveness/Non-Forgiveness after Violent Victimization.” (2014-2015)
Documentary Studies Seminar Discussant. Oakley Center for the Humanities and Social Sciences. William College. (2013-2014)
“Undergraduate Happiness: Some Preliminary Field Notes from the Classroom.” The Mind’s Eye: A Liberal Arts Journal. (Fall 2013)
“Teaching Happiness: A Workshop.” Presider & Organizer. Eastern Sociological Society Conference. Boston, MA. (March 2013)
“Teaching and Researching Difficult Topics.” Roundtable Coordinator. Eastern Sociological Society Conference, NYC. (August 2012)
Manuscript Reviewer. 21st Century Social Problems Exploring Social Crisis through Media. Sage Publications (2011).
Manuscript Reviewer. The Journal of Gender and Society. (2011)
“Surveying Laws and Provisions against Rape.” Pacific Sociological Association Conference, Special Session on Genocide. Portland, OR. (2008).
“Understanding Rape in War.” Pacific Sociological Association Conference. Political Sociology Session. Portland, OR. (2008)
The Construction of Rape as Crime Against Humanity. Ph.D. Dissertation, Brandeis University. (2006)
“Consensus or Co-Optation? A Critical Analysis of Collaborative Planning in Civic Environmentalism.” Master of Arts Thesis, Brandeis University. (2001)
“Persistent or Departure: Understanding Student Experiences at the Master’s Level.” Master of Science Thesis, Portland State University. (1995)
