May 2026
Publications
Josh Seim (2011 Sociology MS degree) recently published a book with the University of California Press: The Welfare Assembly Line: Public Servants in the Suffering City.
Robert Northman (completed MS in Sociology at PSU 2026) has contributed a chapter titled “Gangs and the Anti-Gang Problem” to the forthcoming peer-reviewed volume Global Agenda for Social Justice 3. Published by Policy Press in collaboration with the Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP), the book brings together scholars from around the world to address pressing issues of social justice and inequality. In his chapter, Northman examines how anti-gang policies and institutions shape public understandings of gangs, challenging conventional approaches to gang intervention and criminalization. The volume is scheduled for release on July 7, 2026, and will be available through Policy Press and major academic booksellers.
Omar Melchor-Ayala (2019 Sociology PhD graduate) was recently elected department chair in the Criminal Justice department at Western Oregon University.
Natalie Cholula (2025 Sociology PhD graduate) and Melissa Thompson (Sociology faculty) have just had a paper accepted for publication from Natalie's dissertation: "Predicting Mexican Migrant Distress in the U.S. during Intense Immigration Enforcement Periods" Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences.
Hall, Jennifer D., Maria N. Danna, Viviane Cahen, Andrea Baron (Sociology graduate student), Camille C. Cioffi, and Deborah J. Cohen. "Startup activities and challenges implementing an integrated care model for pregnant and postpartum individuals with substance use disorders: a qualitative study." Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy (2026).
Career Progression
Eiryn Renouard (Sociology graduate student) successfully defended her thesis, "Unmanned Aerial Support Program in Portland Police Bureau: A Case Study," with the support of her committee chair Melissa Thompson (Sociology faculty) and committee members Aaron Roussell (Sociology faculty) and Brian Renauer.
Winter Ohara-Frantz (Sociology undergraduate) completed and presented her Honor’s thesis, More Than “Programs for Women”: Centering Incarcerated Women’s Voices in the Evaluation of Prison Programming, with the support of Advisor Deb Arthur (PSU University Studies faculty).
Tamara Ogle (Sociology graduate student) passed her qualifying exams in Gender, with support from Advisor Maura Kelly and committee members Emily Shafer and Shirley Jackson (all Sociology faculty).
Celeste Janssen (Sociology graduate student) successfully defended her thesis, Empowering Youth within Youth Adult Partnerships: A Content Analysis of Gray Literature, with the support of committee chair Maura Kelly (Sociology faculty) and committee members Dara Shifrer (Sociology faculty) and Alma Trinidad (PSU Social Work).
Service and Leadership
Tamara Ogle (Sociology graduate student) organized an Academic Job Market Alumni Panel, featuring Jenna DePasquale, Kate Burrows, Andreea Nica (all alums of our Sociology doctoral program) and Josh Bass (Sociology faculty), with support from Aaron Roussell (Sociology faculty).
Maura Kelly (Sociology faculty) joined PSU-AAUP's Grievance committee.
Awards
Rachel Springer’s (Sociology graduate student) paper, “Disability, Community Care, and Disaster Justice: A Research Framework,” was selected as the second place winner in the Alpha Kappa Delta Graduate Paper Competition Committee. AKD expands: “Your work was selected from a very strong pool of papers and you should be proud of your accomplishment. Congratulations not only for having produced an outstanding piece of sociological writing, but also for the long and enduring track record of academic excellence on which this paper was built. Please see the attached letter for more information, including information regarding your cash prize and travel money to the American Sociological Association annual meeting in August 2026.”
Presentations
Delaney Ybarra (Sociology graduate student) presented, “Language as Loyalty: How Identity Shapes Linguistic Beliefs About Who is "Truly American,” at PSU’s PhD Day.
Danielle Standridge (Sociology graduate student), Riley DeBacker, Hunter Stuehm. "Race and Stigma, Fundamental Causes of Health Disparities Among Veterans with HIV." Paper presented at the European Research Group on Military and Society, Aarhus, Denmark.
Eiryn Renouard (Sociology graduate student) presented, "Unmanned Aerial Support Program in Portland Police Bureau: A Case Study,” at PSU’s PhD Day.
Iris S. De Lis (Sociology graduate student) presented, "From Grading Hell to Learning Well: How the GOAL Framework Restores Teaching Joy," at PSU’s PhD Day.
Iris S. De Lis’s (Sociology graduate student) proposal was accepted to lead a 75-minute workshop at the annual Grading Conference, put on by the Center for Grading Reform.
Madi Lou Abel (Sociology graduate student) presented alongside RESR committee members Bright Alozie (Black Studies), Pedro Ferbel-Azcarate (Black Studies), Kai Hang Cheang (Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies), and Staci Martin (Child, Youth, and Family Studies) on their paper "Race & Ethnic Studies at the Crossroads: Critical Solidarities, Campus Politics, and the Future of CRT at Portland State University" at the 2026 Critical Race Studies in Education Association (CRSEA) Conference in Portland, OR.