News & Events
Letter From the Sociology Department Head’s Desk
Greetings,
Welcome back student-scholars. I am fortunate enough to have been appointed by Provost Storrs and Dean Kiss to be the new Department Head for the Sociology Department. I want to thank Dr. David Kauzlarich for serving as Department Head for six years. I would also like to thank Dr. Daniel Huebner and Dr. Sarah Daynes, undergraduate and graduate directors, respectively, for their service to students, the department, college, and university. Their terms of service have ended so please welcome Dr. Trevor Hoppe and Dr. Cindy Brooks-Dollar as new directors of undergraduate and graduate studies for the department, respectively. I am in my 26th year as a faculty member of the Sociology Department and I look forward to fulfilling the four-year administrative term.
As Department Head, my goals are: (1) to support the scholarly brilliance and teaching pedagogy of the department’s faculty members; (2) to emphasize sociology as a marketable and employable major; and (3) to open the doors of the department’s educational experience to off campus social networks, community groups and businesses. The National Science Foundation (NSF) classifies Sociology as STEM. My guiding principles are that people are information consumers and decisions including behavioral outcomes are significantly related to data. Sociology is rooted in an educational culture that develops theoretical, and data driven story tellers. Our students will develop the skills necessary to offer relevant narratives regarding the nature of influential components of society.
Sociology majors will learn experimental design, statistics, and other methods of research en route to understanding and explaining human nature. Substantive areas, or content subfields represent tentacles of sociological research and are as expansive as a student’s sociological imagination, Currently, the department offers a Criminology Concentration and emphasizes Justice Studies. The Sociology Department is fortunate to be comprised of dedicated teaching faculty who are nationally and internationally renowned for their research. The courses our faculty teach provide a glimpse into their respective research agendas and cater to students’ interests. The Department’s faculty are experienced and positioned to support and nurture undergraduate and graduate students through their academic journeys. The Department is primed for students looking for a culture of education, care, and attention to individuality of thought and critical thinking. To our current majors, we extend our thanks for trusting us enough to be involved with your educational investment. To students looking for a major that will highlight your personal interests and position you as employable, please accept the invitation to visit our department.
Cordially, Dr. Steven R. Cureton
