Student Accomplishments

RECENT STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

We are proud of our current and former students’ impressive work! We highlight some recent successes of our students and alumni below.

AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND HONORS

2019 Outstanding Graduate Student in Sociology and the COLA Outstanding Graduate Student: Charley Henderson (MA Sociology 2018)
Graduate Program Award for Outstanding Contribution: Rachel Phillips (MA Sociology 2019)
Graduate College Merit Fellowships: Brianna Brown (MA Sociology), Alyssa Loveday (MS Sustainability Studies), Dezerae Reyes (MA Sociology)
Graduate College Scholarship: Aspen Navarro (MS Sustainability Studies), Alexia Gutierrez (MS Applied Sociology)
Spring 2019 Texas State University System Foundation Scholarships: Amanda Standlee (MS Sustainability Studies)
Delorean Wiley (MS Sustainability Studies 2019), many news mentions
Douglas Laws (MSDA 2019), Internship training to be a Volunteer Ombudsman for a local nursing home.
Shameka Henson (MS Sustainability Studies): Mickey Leland Environmental Internship Program (MLEIP) in the Water Quality Division of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
Geoff Wood Memorial Scholarship: Kenzie Nasser
Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Sociology: Jeffrey Sanchez
Charlotte McCord Sociology Scholarship for Non-Traditional Students: Brenda Sanchez
Clarence Schultz Sociology Scholarship: August Kutac
Newsom/Matlock Sociology Scholarship: Samantha Smothermon
Geoff Wood Memorial Scholarship: Kenzie Nasser
Shelby Renee Newman Sociology Scholarship: Brittany Bailey
A.A. Grusendorf Award for the Outstanding Sociology Senior: Jeffrey Sanchez
2019 College of Liberal Arts Academic Excellence recipients: Mary Blackburn, Danenhauer (Dani) Blalock, Jordan Duran, Aydee Gonzalez Gallegos, Lauren Guzman, Mckinsey Kuehn, Emily MacDonald, Iliana Medrano, Ali Mumbach, William Pinteric, Austen Ramsey, Kendall Richardson, Morgan Ryman, Jeffrey Sanchez, Samantha Smothermon, Ashley Thomas
Herman Spirit Award: Hannah Thomas (MA Sociology)
AKD 2018-2019 Inductees: Brittany Bailey, Mary Blackburn Brianna Brown, Anne Marie Callahan, Ruth Carpentier, Audrie Cortez, Tiffany Gitre, Lauren Guzman, Margrethe Blain Johnsen, Alyssa Koelemay, Callaghan McCarthy, Nicholas McCollum, Dylan DeHaven McConnell, Iliana Medrano, Taylor Mireles, Michelle Myers, William Pinteric, Morgan Ryman, Priscilla Segovia, Ashley Thomas, Darius Wiley
Undergraduate students who have been accepted into our master's programs: Sam Smothermon, Fiona Burke

CONFERENCE PARTICIPATION, PUBLICATIONS, AND SCHOLARLY ACTIVITIES

Delorean Wiley (MS Sustainability Studies). Low gravity on the rise: A sociocultural examination of low alcohol beer in the United States, Beer Geography, Vol. 2 (In Review).; From grain to glass to plate: a self-review of operating a startup grain upcycling bakery, “Saving Food Special Issue”, Gastronomica Vol. 19 Issue 3 (Submit Jan. 20, 2019).; Beer Social: Mixed methods for creating spatial and temporal trends in the craft beer industry, S.W.A.A.G. 2018.; Net Impact and Microsoft Community Impact Pitch-off Competition: People’s Choice Winner (Upcycling brewer’s grain research).; Virtual Pub Crawl: Methods in beer geography: A.A.G., Apr 2019.
Joshua Warren (MA Sociology). "Queer Commodification and Consumption: A Photo-Ethnography of London." Presenting at Southern Sociological Society conference, 2019.
Dr. Michelle Edwards (faculty), Briana Luna (undergraduate student), and Hannah Edwards (MA Sociology), "Environmental Injustices in Immigrant Detention: How Absences Are Embedded in the NEPA Process." Paper to be presented at the American Sociological Association meetings, 2019.
Dr. Michael Lengefeld (MA Sociology from Texas State; PhD Sociology from Washington State University) is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Goucher College in Towson, Maryland. As part of the Center for People, Politics, and Markets and the Center for Natural Sciences, he teaches courses in Environmental Studies and Sociology, with an emphasis on environmental justice and global development.
2019 Texas State 3MT competition: Rachel Phillips (MA Sociology 2019), Delorean Wiley (MS Sustainability Studies 2019)
College of Liberal Arts Summer Research Expo Presentation, Spring 2019:

Jeffrey Sanchez—Sociology

The Skeleton and the Rainbow: Understanding the Relationship between the Queer

Community and Santa Muerte

Mentor: Dr. Joseph Laycock, Philosophy

Jen Cardenas—English

"To Affinity and Beyond": A Qualitative Exploration of Tandem Learning and Empathy

Mentor: Dr. Rachel Romero, Sociology

William Pinteric—Sociology

Who is the American Gun Owner?

Mentor: Dr. Seoyoun Kim, Sociology

Mason Villarreal—Sociology

Food Marketing and Gender: A Content Analysis

Mentor: Dr. Deborah A. Harris, Sociology

Lorenzo Carrillo (MS Sustainability Studies), completed an internship during summer 2019 with the National Park Service in Alaska. He developed a historical interpretive tour which talked about the native peoples of Alaska, the environmental impacts of the Klondike Gold Rush, and climate change in Alaska.

NEW JOBS AND PROMOTIONS

Gus Delgado (MS Applied Sociology), Business Process Specialist at Austin Fire Department.
Megan Lopez (MS Applied Sociology), Data and Quality Assurance Supervisor at the Office of Refugee Resettlement National Call Center (ORRNCC).
Ashley Pritchard (MS Sustainability Studies 2018), Environmental Investigator II for TCEQ region 13.
Mona Lisa Rudd (MSDA 2018), Assistant Administrator at the Sarah Roberts French Home in San Antonio, Tx.
Phoenix Castilla (MS Sustainability Studies 2018), Environmental Permit Specialist for TCEQ headquarters.
Michael Baker (MA Sociology 2018), User Services Consultant for the IT Assistance Center at Texas State University.
Alexis Hinojosa (MA Sociology 2017), Primary Prevention Specialist at Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA).
Holley Hickman (MA Sociology 2018), Bilingual Research and Evaluation Associate at Clayton Early Learning.
Madison Tabersmith (MA Sociology 2017), Coordinator for Institutional Effectiveness and IRB at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Tx.
Jordan Chaffin (MS Applied Sociology 2018), Senior Research Analyst at Enrollment Research Associates.
Amanda Couve (MSDA 2018), Volunteer Coordinator for Encompass Hospice.
Candy Cantrell (MA Sociology 2017), Volunteer Coordinator, Dress for Success (non profit organization in Austin)
Rachel Phillips (MA Sociology 2019). Program Specialist III with Early Childhood Intervention at Texas Health & Human Services
Emily Watkins (MA Sociology 2019), Veterans Service Representative for the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in St. Paul, MN.
Katherine Casarez (MA Sociology 2018), Community Outreach Program Manager with Houston Methodist Global Health Care and Spiritual Care

Sociology Department Alumni who have received doctorates

Dr. Dorian Galindo (PhD, Applied Demography, University of Texas-San Antonio,)
Dr. Bricio Vasquez (PhD, Applied Demography, University of Texas-San Antonio)
Dr. Michael Lengefeld (PhD, Sociology, Washington State University)
Dr. Nick LaLone (PhD, Analytics, Pennsylvania State University)
Dr. Patricia Morton (PhD, Sociology, Purdue University)
Dr. Chandra Ward (PhD, Sociology, Georgia State University)
Dr. Keith Kerr, (PhD, Sociology, Texas A & M University)
Dr. Michelle Edwards (PhD, Sociology, Washington State University)
Dr. Taylor Houston (PhD, Sociology, University of Georgia)
Dr. Carlton Mathis (PhD, Sociology, Texas A & M University)
Dr. Raquel Marquez (PhD, Sociology, University of Texas-Austin)
Dr. Amber Deane (PhD, Sociology, Texas Women’s University)
Dr. Claude Bonazzo (PhD, Sociology, University of Texas-Austin)
Dr. Nicole Farris (PhD, Sociology, Texas A & M University)
Dr. Christine McCown (PhD, Sociology, Texas A & M University)
Dr. Christian Bolden (PhD, Sociology, Central Florida University)
Dr. Cat Pause (PhD, Human Development, Texas Tech University)
Dr. Terrence Hill (PhD, Sociology, University of Texas at Austin)
Dr. Audwin Anderson (PhD, Sociology, Texas A & M University)
Dr. Pamela Meyer (PhD, Public Health, University of Texas)
Dr. Jasmon Bailey (PhD in Sociology, University of South Florida, 2019) defended his dissertation, "Palatable Shades of Gender: Status Processes at the Intersections of Race." Jasmon will be headed to The University of Maryland as a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow.

Sociology Department Alumni Enrolled in PhD programs

Danni Rogina-Lopez (PhD in progress, University of Colorado-Boulder, Sociology)
Maggie Chamberlain (PhD in progress, Oklahoma State University, Sociology)
Amber Blazek (PhD in progress, Texas A & M University, Sociology)
Meagan Richard (PhD in progress, University of Illinois-Chicago Policy Studies, Urban Education)
Kami Rutherford (PhD in progress, Louisiana State University, Sociology)
Cheryl Rollman-Tinajero (PhD in progress, Texas A & M University, Sociology)
Thaddeus Atzmon (PhD in progress, Texas A & M University, Sociology)
Courtney Caviness (PhD in progress, University of California-Davis, Sociology)
Raul Casarez (PhD in progress, Rice University, Sociology)
Alma Castro (PhD in progress, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Sociology)
Megan Krou (PhD in progress, Texas State University, Education)
Kay Newling (PhD in progress, Texas State University, Education)
Jeremy Holland (PhD in progress, Lancaster University, England, Language and Linguistics)
Rhonda Smith (PhD in progress, University of Las Vegas, Sociology)
Joel Denney (PhD in progress, Texas State University, Criminal Justice)
Lynette Moran (PhD in progress, University of Pittsburgh, Sociology)
Darren McQueen (PhD in progress, Texas State University, Adult, Professional, and Community Education)
Jesse Silva (Executive Ed.D. in progress, University of Texas at Austin, Higher Education Leadership)
Jamilah Christiansen (Begins PhD in fall 2019, University of South Florida)