Department of Sociology
Long winter nights make for good reads. Duke publications from the fall and winter include attractions for readers of many interests. For history buffs, there's new history of the American West and a timely assessment of economic sanctions. For politicos, there's a blueprint for protecting democracy and a study of the contributions of migrants to various cultures. Movie fans can read about the history of Asians in theater and cinema and a surprising look at the politics of Marvel movies. Many of the books, including new… read more about Warm Up With Winter Books From Duke Authors »
On Wednesday, November 9th, Nicolas Restrepo Ochoa successfully defended his dissertation entitled “Three Papers on Beliefs: on their Measurement, their Transmission, and its Implications for Large-scale Change”. His committee consisted of Steve Vaisey (Chair), Jim Moody, Craig Rawlings, and Lynn Smith-Lovin. Nicolas has accepted a postdoctoral position in the Evolutionary Anthropology department at UC Davis. There, he will work with professor Cristina Moya to explore how and why individuals adopt beliefs and rituals,… read more about Nicolas Restrepo Ochoa Defends Dissertation, Accepts Postdoctoral Position »
Opportunities for three postdoctoral scholars could impact hundreds thanks to a new postdoctoral fellowship program led by Nicki Washington, professor of the practice of Computer Science and Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies, Shaundra Daily, professor of practice of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science and Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Sociology. The three faculty were already collaborators on the NSF-funded Alliance for Identity-Inclusive Computing Education (… read more about Duke Team Awarded $1.25 Million to Create New Identity-Inclusive Postdoc Program »
When he was named the inaugural Presidential Fellow, social scientist Tyson Brown wasn’t certain what it would involve or what skills he would come out of it. But very quickly he learned that this wasn’t an internship or a training ground for academic leadership, but a means by which he could have a different perspective of the university as a whole, beyond even any university networks he had developed as an interdisciplinary scholar of health and society. As he completes his work as a fellow – with engineering professor… read more about Tyson Brown’s Year of Exploring Duke Leadership »
Jessica West received the Maddox Fellow Award from the Duke University Aging Center, which recognizes early career investigators who have demonstrated outstanding academic potential in their field. Jessica is currently an NIH/T32 Postdoctoral Fellow in the Aging Center under the mentorship of Matthew Dupre (Sociology, Population Health Sciences) and Sherri Smith (Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences). read more about Jessica West Awarded Maddox Fellowship »
When asked about her work, Hedwig (Hedy) Lee points to a quote from Ralph Ellison’s novel “Invisible Man”: “I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me.” Lee, who joined Duke this fall as a professor of Sociology, is dedicated to measuring the invisible. She quantifies some of the most critical issues facing society today, such as racial and ethnic health disparities, in an effort to shed light upon forms of inequality that would otherwise go unseen. “We can't really see or understand a… read more about Hedy Lee Finds Better Measures For Old Problems »
Three DUPRI scholars, Christina Gibson-Davis, Lisa Gennetian, and Sociology Professor, Lisa Keister, were recently awarded an R21 grant by NICHD called "Net worth poverty and children’s development." The research examines how net worth poverty, distinct from income poverty, is associated with children’s cognitive and behavioral development. The investigation contributes a new perspective on economic precarity of child households, on the ways in which wealth and income scarcity contribute to racial and… read more about Gibson-Davis, Gennetian, and Keister awarded NICHD grant to study children's development »
Sociology Professor, James Moody, is part of Duke Team that is awarded $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The team is pinpointing the factors that are likely to turn a local outbreak into a global pandemic. Click here to read full article. read more about Sociology Professor, James Moody, part of Duke Team that is Awarded $1 million to Predict the Next Pandemic »
Gary Gereffi, Professor Emeritus of Sociology has been quite busy in terms of both academic and policy-related work on global supply chains. As an originator of the global value chains framework, Professor Gereffi was invited to testify at the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee hearings on “Implementing Supply Chain Resiliency” in Washington, DC on July 15, 2021. This summer, Gary was an academic facilitator and commentator for the 2022 Supply Chain Ministerial hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Anthony… read more about Sociology Emeriti, Gary Gereffi, Ph.D. Has Been Quite Busy »
Experts know COVID-19 won’t be the last major pandemic. What they don’t know is where, or when, the next one will begin. An interdisciplinary team from Duke, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), North Carolina State University (NCSU) and the Triangle Center for Evolutionary Medicine (TriCEM) is hoping to change that. Thanks to a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation, the team is pinpointing the factors that are likely to turn a local outbreak into a global pandemic. At Duke, the research… read more about Duke Team Awarded $1 million to Predict the Next Pandemic »
Matt Dupre (PI) and Scott Lynch (Co-I) were recently awarded $1.7 million by NIH for an R01 study on the life course patterns and predictors of hospitalizations in older adults with heart failure. The study is a collaboration among faculty from the Department of Sociology, Population Health Sciences, Family Medicine and Community Health, and the University of Texas Southwestern. read more about Matthew Dupre and Scott Lynch Awarded NIH Grant »
On Thursday, May 19th, 2022, Claire Le Barbenchon successfully defended her dissertation entitled, “Essays on Migration, Social Networks and Employment”. Her committee included Maria-Giovanna Merli (chair), James Moody, Lisa A Keister, Alexander Volfovsky, and Marcos Rangel. Claire was a member of the inaugural cohort of the joint PhD in Public Policy and Sociology and is the first student to graduate with the joint degree. She also graduated with a Master's in Statistical Science with her thesis entitled "Optimizing the… read more about Le Barbenchon Successfully Defends Dissertation »
Congratulations to Maria Febbo on her appointment to Lecturer (regular-rank) in the Department of Sociology. read more about Maria Febbo Appointed to Lecturer »
Tyson Brown has been named the W.L.F. Associate Professor of Sociology in recognition of outstanding scholarship and teaching that aligned with the Bass Connections program. This coming year, Professor Brown will serve as the theme leader for the new Bass Connections Race and Society theme. Click here to read full article. read more about Tyson Brown Appointed to Endowed Bass Connections Professorship »
Professor of Sociology, Chris Bail, has been extremely busy, and his hard work is paying off. First, the Templeton Foundation has awarded Chris and the Polarization Lab $1.85 million to study methods for increasing intellectual humility on social media. The project is on a timely topic and entitled “Can Social Media Promote Intellectual Humility?” (abstract below). The grant provides a big boost to Chris’s work in the Polarization Lab and is beneficial all around. Second, the impact of Chris’s work has… read more about Congratulations to Chris Bail, on his many recent successes »
Professor Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, Co-PI, on a recently funded NSF grant for the Alliance for Identity-Inclusive Computing Education-Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (AIICE-PRF). ABSTRACT: While computer science (CS) has transformed society, these groundbreaking technologies have proven extremely harmful for people from groups that are historically underrepresented in computing. This can be attributed to the lack of diversity in academic and professional computing environments.… read more about Sociology Professor, Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, Receives NSF Grant »
Four new members joined the Duke University Board of Trustees on July 1, university officials announced Friday. Among the four new members is Sociology graduate, Kacia A. Anderson, a 2022 Duke graduate who studied sociology and chemistry. Nominated by the Undergraduate Young Trustee Nominating Committee, Anderson, T’22, was a David M. Rubenstein Scholar and Questbridge Scholar and served as a peer mentor for the Rubenstein Scholars and DukeLIFE. A proud first-generation Jamaican-American, she focused her… read more about Sociology Graduate, Kacia Anderson, Named to the Duke Board of Trustees »
Congratulations to sociology’s Jessica Ellington on receiving a Dean’s Pillar of Excellence Award in recognition of her many outstanding contributions to Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. She is one of only four recipients of this award. “While this may not come as a surprise to those of us who work with Jessica, it is wonderful to see that her contributions are valued across Duke University.” – Chair Read The Dean's Pillars of Excellence Staff Award was stabled in 2017, and is presented… read more about Congratulations to Jessica Ellington, Dean's Pillar of Excellence Award Winner »
