September & October 2025
Career Progression
Wynn Strange (Sociology graduate student) successfully defended their dissertation, "I like the idea in theory": Experiencing necropower within the imperial matrix through legal gender marker and gender-affirming name changes, with the support of their committee chair Aaron Roussell (Sociology faculty) and committee members Maura Kelly (Sociology faculty), Kim Williams (Political Science faculty), Toby Beauchamp (Gender and Women's Studies faculty), and Julius McGee (Sociology faculty at the University of Oregon).
Kelsey Nielsen (Sociology undergraduate) is graduating this term with a BS in Sociology!
Hannah Sean Ellefritz (Sociology graduate student) successfully defended her dissertation proposal, Between Fulfillment and Employability: Understanding the Paradox of STEM PhD Student Motivations and Career Preparation in a R2 Institution, with the support of her committee chair Dara Shifrer (Sociology faculty) and committee members Maura Kelly (Sociology faculty), Dan Jaffee (Sociology faculty), Lisa Weasel (Environmental Sciences and Management faculty), Tong Zhang (Assistant Dean for Inclusive Innovation in the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science).
Erika Campbell (Sociology graduate student) successfully defended her dissertation, "I Wish We Had Something in School For That": Exploring Youth Perspectives on LGBTQ+ Inclusive Sex Education and School Climate, with the support of her committee chair Amy Lubitow (Environmental Science and Management faculty) and committee members Dara Shifrer (Sociology faculty), Maura Kelly (Sociology faculty), and Eric Mankowski (Psychology faculty).
Awards
Cece Austin (psychology undergrad, mentee of Dara Shifrer (Sociology faculty))) received the "Abigail Jacobs-Kaufman Scholarship in Judaic Studies" 2025-26.
Public Scholarship
Shirley A. Jackson (Sociology faculty) was featured in an article in The Oregonian, “With Outdoor Afro guides, novice birdwatchers don’t have to go it alone.” The Oregonian, August 5, 2025. https://www.hereisoregon.com/experiences/2025/08/head-outside-with-outdoor-afro-and-see-where-it-leads-you.html
Shirley A. Jackson (Sociology faculty) was featured in a podcast, “This organization is transforming Black Oregonians’ outdoor experiences: Peak Northwest Podcast. The Oregonian. October 27, 2025. https://www.oregonlive.com/podcasts/2025/10/this-organization-is-transforming-black-oregonians-outdoor-experiences-peak-northwest-podcast.html
Hyeyoung Woo (Sociology faculty) was quoted in “No, It's Not Offensive for Your Kids To Dress Up as the Characters From 'KPop Demon Hunters' This Halloween” in Parents.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Dara Shifrer (Sociology faculty), Alyssa Nestler, Haley Simons, and Rachel Springer (Sociology graduate student co-authored “Micropolitics in School-Based Health Centers’ Provision of Sexual Health Services” in Sociological Forum.
Presentations
Jessica Niemetz (computer science undergrad, mentee of Dara Shifrer (Sociology faculty)) presented “The Impact of Demographics on Educational Technology Use in Pre-Covid K-12 Schooling” as an oral presentation and poster presentation at the 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Forum.
Bernard (Gelo) Marcelo (social work undergrad, mentee of Dara Shifrer (Sociology faculty)) presented “Student Finances and its Relationship with Academic Success and Health” as an oral presentation and poster presentation at the 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Forum.
Service
Shirley A. Jackson (Sociology faculty) was the Session Organizer and Presider of “How did they get that job?: Sociologists Engaged in Work Outside Academia at the American Sociological Association Annual Meetings in Chicago.
Shirley A. Jackson (Sociology faculty) was the Session Organizer, for the sessions “‘Doing Public Sociology’: Public Sociological Practice in the Community,” “Whose Story and Whose Project?’: Ethical Issues and Considerations in Research and Collaborations,” and the organizer of the “Sociological Practice and Public Sociology Roundtables” for the ASA Section on Public Sociology and Sociological Practice at the American Sociological Association Annual Meetings in Chicago, Illinois.
Shirley A. Jackson (Sociology faculty) is Chair of the American Sociological Association’s Section on Sociological Practice and Public Sociology.
Shirley A. Jackson (Sociology faculty) was elected to serve as a member of the American Sociological Association's Publications Committee.
Shirley A. Jackson (Sociology faculty) was a Committee Member for the American Sociological Association's Section on Sociological Practice and Public Sociology's William Foote Whyte Career Award.
Shirley A. Jackson (Sociology faculty) was the Section on Sociological Practice and Public Sociology's Program Committee Chair for the 2025 American Sociological Association's Annual Meetings.
Madi Lou Abel (Sociology graduate student) was invited back to serve on PSU’s Race and Ethnic Studies Requirement (RESR) Committee as the student representative for the ‘25-26 academic year!