News
Troy Case Awarded Fullbright
Dr. Troy Case has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar/Teacher Award to study how health stresses in childhood may differentially affect growth of the bones of the hands and arms. The work will be conducted in Thailand from July through December 2013. Dr. Case is an expert in skeletal defects and variation, and regularly conducts research on both archaeological and modern skeletons in Thailand.
Congratulations, Dr. Case!
Driscoll and Kick Examine Colonial Eastern North Carolina as Source of Raw Material for British Navy
Sociology Doctoral Candidate Adam Driscoll and Agriculture and Resource Economics Professor Edward Kick are featured in the current issue of the Journal of World-Systems Research. In their article Driscoll and Kick explore how colonial-era Great Britain utilized eastern North Carolina as a source of raw materials for its navy. They argue that the resulting resource extraction served to stagnate economic development in the region and partially accounts for its current state of underdevelopment relative to other regions of the United States.
From the abstract:
We argue that uneven geographical development within core nations can at least partially be explained by the historical appropriation of natural capital; a universal process in which site-specific geographic factors and the larger political-economic context of the world-system interact, over time, to produce linked regions of relative accumulation and deprivation.... We examine eastern North Carolina's history as the principal producer of naval stores for Great Britains' navy during Britain's ascension toward hegemonic status in the world-system during the eighteenth century.
Follow the link to read the full article:
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Dr. Virginia Aldige wins Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence
NC State's Board of Trustees recently named Dr. Virginia Aldige the winner of the Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence.
Haenn Quoted in The New York Times
In an article published in The New York Times Sunday Magazine, Associate Professor of Anthropology and International Studies, Nora Haenn discusses the unforeseen risks scientists create and must manage as they work to fight malaria with genetically modified mosquitoes. Click below to follow a link to the online article:
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Wallace and People-First Tourism
Read about Professor Tim Wallace's involvement in People-First Tourism!
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Ross featured in NYT
The New York Times quoted Professor Ann Ross in a recent article on isotope analysis.
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Anthropology undergraduate wins Community Impact Award
Congratulations to Anthropology major Britt Taylor, honored for his community service efforts with the 2012 Community Impact Award.
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Ross chosen as University Faculty Scholar
Congratulations to Professor Ann Ross, who was recognized and rewarded as a University Faculty Scholar!
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Study finds importance of parental involvement
In a study on academic achievement published in Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Professor Toby Parcel and colleagues find that parental support plays a larger role than school qualities. The study has been covered by multiple news outlets, including The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, and ScienceDaily.
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USA Today quotes Elliott
USA Today quoted Professor Elliott in a recent article. See below for a link to the article.
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Welcome new faculty!
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology welcomes five tenure-track faculty:
Michaela DeSoucey, Assistant Professor of Sociology; Chelsey Juarez, Assistant Professor of Anthropology; Shea McManus, Assistant Professor of Anthropology; John Millhauser, Assistant Professor of Anthropology; and Alexander ‘Sasha’ Newell, Assistant Professor of Anthropology
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Elliott discusses parents' beliefs about sex lives of teens
Reality Check and tunein interviewed Professor Sinikka Elliott about her research on parents' beliefs regarding the sex lives of their teenage children. You can find the links to the podcasts below.
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McDonald and Benton publish research on job networking in Social Forces
The new study--coauthored by Steve McDonald (NCSU), Richard Benton (NCSU), and David Warner (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)--shows that informal social networks play an important role when it comes to finding jobs in both the United States and Germany, but those networks are significantly more important for high-paying jobs in the United States.
Steve McDonald, Richard A. Benton, and David F. Warner. "Dual Embeddedness: Informal Job Matching and Labor Market Institutions in the United States and Germany." Forthcoming, Social Forces.
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Rusche and Jason win SSSP Teaching Social Problems Division's Outstanding Paper Competition
Congratulations Sarah Rusche and Kendra Jason on winning the 2012 SSSP Teaching Social Problems Division's Outstanding Paper Competition for their paper, "Welcoming the Personal as Sociological: Critical Self-Reflection and Transformation in the Classroom."
Parcel finds similar risk factors for child behavior problems in US and Great Britain
Professor Toby Parcel's recent study on child behavior problems is published online in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.
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Benton wins Travel Award to attend RC28 conference
Richard Benton was awarded a competitive travel grant from the RC28 section of the International Sociological Association to attend and present his research at their summer research conference. The study is titled, "Stratification, Social Capital, and Market Transition: The Case of German Unification." Richard is the lead author, with coauthors Steve McDonald, Anna Manzoni, and David Warner.
Congratulations PFL award winners
Graduate students Candace Chambers and Laura Fitzwater were awarded Certificate of Accomplishment in Teaching Graduates, Fall 2011 – Spring 2012.
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Michael Schulman to receive research award
Professor Michael Schulman will receive the 2012 Excellence in Research award at this summer's Rural Sociological Society meeting.
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Congratulations to CHASS faculty award winners!
Congratulations to our faculty who were recognized for excellence in teaching and research!
Brett Clark, CHASS Outstanding Junior Faculty Award winner
Martha Crowley, CHASS Outstanding Teaching Award and induction in the NC State University Academy of Outstanding Teachers
Ted Greenstein, CHASS’s nominee for University Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor
Ann Ross, University Alumni Association Outstanding Research Award
Journal posts podcast of Professor Elliott's research
Gender & Society has posted a podcast of Professor Sinikka Elliott’s article on hooking up and dating.
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Study finds "tableside racism"
Current and former sociology graduate students Sarah Nell Rusche and Dr. Zachary Brewster published their paper, “Quantitative Evidence of the Continuing Significance of Race: Tableside Racism in Full-Service Restaurants,” in the Journal of Black Studies.
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Congrats to Ph.D. students on their new jobs!
Congratulations to our Ph.D. students who have been hired as assistant professors at the following colleges and universities. We're very proud of you all and best of luck next year!
Kelly Austin – Lehigh University
Jake Day – Appalachian State University
Laura McKinney – Tulane University
Brad Ray – Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Rena Zito – Westminster College
Watch Tim Wallace at TEDxNCSU
Watch anthropology professor Tim Wallace at TEDxNCSU.
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Troy Case in the news
Check out anthropology professors and graduate students in The News & Observer!
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Graduate Students Honor Schulman
On Thursday, March 1, NCSU's sociology grraduate students honored Professor Michael Schulman with a Lifetime Mentorship Award.
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Tim Wallace is candidate for President of SfAA
Tim Wallace is on the 2012 officer election ballot of the Sociuety for Applied Anthropology. He is running for President. The Society for Applied Anthropology, founded in 1941 by Sol Tax, Margaret Mead, and many other well known anthropologists of the day, currently has approximately 4000 members. It is the largest association of applied anthropologists in the world. Wallace's term, if elected, would begin as President-Elect at the end of 2012 and his term as President would start in 2014 for a two year periond.
What do NC State scientists prefer: CSI or Law & Order?
The university's alumni magazine featured Anthropologist Ann Ross and other researchers who are advancing forensic science in its cover story ... Read More
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What do NC State scientists prefer? CSI or Law & Order?
For the winter issue of NC State magazine, we talked to researchers across campus who are teaming up to advance work in the area of forensic science. From studying blow flies to mapping skulls to developing a database of fabric dyes, these scientists are using their specialized knowledge to help solve crimes. [...]
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NC State Holds Forensic Science Symposium for National and State Law Enforcement
North Carolina State University holds its fourth annual forensic science symposium –including presentations of cutting-edge crime scene investigation technology and techniques – on Tuesday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the College of Textiles. The event is open to the media, and [...]
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Archaeologists Find New Evidence Of Animals Being Introduced To Prehistoric Caribbean
An archaeological research team from North Carolina State University, the University of Washington and University of Florida has found one of the most diverse collections of prehistoric non-native animal remains in the Caribbean, on the tiny island of Carriacou. The find contributes to our understanding of culture in the region before the arrival of Columbus, [...]
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Raising Awareness About Health Literacy
Health literacy--the ability to read, understand, and act on health-related information--poses an enormous challenge to improving health and to lowering healthcare costs in the United States. October is Health Literacy Awareness Month. ... Read More
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Media covers Professor Elliott's research
On-line news sources Jezebel and LiveScience covered Professor Sinikka Elliott’s co-authored article on “hooking up,” which is the lead article in this month’s Gender & Society.
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The New Dating Game: When Dates Follow Hookups
New research by sociologist Sinikka Elliott sheds some light on just how complicated sex and dating are.Casual sex clearly carries its own risks, but the academic literature on "hooking up" may be presenting an unduly rosy picture of dating. New research doesn't advocate no- ... Read More
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Rachel Powell publishes in Sociological Inquiry
Sociology graduate student Rachel Powell’s article, “Frames and Narratives as Tools for Recruiting and Sustaining Group Members: The Soulforce Equality Ride as a Social Movement Organization,” will be published in the next edition of Sociological Inquiry (Vol. 81, No. 4, November 2011, 454–476) and is now available online.
Frames and Narratives as Tools for Recruiting and Sustaining Group Members
How People Feel About Diversity And "Neighborhood Schools": It"s Complicated
Sociologist Toby Parcel and political scientist Andy Taylor are researching citizens' attitudes related to Wake County schools and the policies that govern them. Their findings may surprise you. ... Read More
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Health-Based Approach May Help ID Groups At Risk Of Genocide
Can science help prevent genocide? Researchers from NC State think so, and are proposing a health-based approach to identifying groups at high risk of genocide, in a first-of-its-kind attempt to target international efforts to stop these mass killings before they start. Genocide, or the willful attempt to exterminate a specific population, is a violation of [...]
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Kelly Austin wins award
Sociology graduate student Kelly Austin won the Terrence Hopkins Published Article Award for the Political Economy of the World-System section of the ASA for her paper "Soybean Exports and Deforestation from a World-Systems Perspective." The article appeared in the Sociological Quarterly.
Ashley Maxwell publishes peer-reviewed article
Anthropology graduate student Ashley Maxwell has co-authored a paper that appears in the current issue of Forensic Science Policy & Management.
Maxwell, AB and AH Ross. 2011. Epidemiology of Genocide: An Example from the Former Yugoslavia. Forensic Science Policy & Management 2: 94-102.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19409044.2011.604378
Kelly Thames wins award
Congratulations to sociology graduate student Kelly Thames who will be awarded Second Prize for the Gene Carte Paper Award at the American Society of Criminology meetings this fall 'in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the field of criminology' with her paper, "An Examination of the Effects of Social Support on Homicide across European Regions over Time".
CHASS welcomes new tenure-track faculty
A warm welcome to these new tenure-track faculty members who are joining NC State's College of Humanities and Social Sciences. ... Read More
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Advances In Forensic Anthropology: 3D-ID
Sometimes law enforcement officials find partial human remains: like a human skull, with few or no other skeletal remains. How can you tell if it was even a man or woman? New technology called 3D-ID can help – giving forensic scientists informati ... Read More
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Sociologist Dr. Ron Wimberley 1942-2011
Dr. Ron Wimberley, noted CALS professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology for 40 years, passes away.
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In Job Market, Social Contacts Help Men - Not Women
When it comes to finding a job, who you know is as important as what you know. But a study from NC State University's sociology department shows that this is really only true for men. [...]
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Grad Students Published First Book Chapters
Congratulations to our recent anthropology graduate students who have published their first book chapters!
Ashley L. Humphries- Basic Juvenile Skeletal Anatomy and Growth and Development
Rebecca Sutphin and Ann H. Ross-Juvenile Stature Estimation: A Chilean Perspective
Sarah L. Cunningham, Scott A. Kirkland, and Ann H. Ross-Bone Weathering of Juvenile-Sized Remains in the North Carolina Piedmont
In Ross and Abel. 2011. The Juvenile Skeleton in Forensic Abuse Investigations, Humana Press.
Bioarchaeology Grad Student Wins Top Honors
Adrianne Offenbecker took first place honors at the Graduate Student Research Symposium for her poster presentation, Examining the Role of Environmental Stress in the Etiology of Skeletal Defects. ... Read More
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Meet Martha Crowley, NC State Sociologist
Why does work matter? How do our experiences in work places affect other areas of our lives? Martha Crowley, assistant professor of sociology, focuses her research around such questions. In this video portrait, Crowley reflects on her research, on the importance of mentors in her own professional development and in the lives of students, and on why she loves teaching and conducting research at NC State University. Video produced by undergraduates in Prof. Jim Alchediak's video production class.
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Caution: Your Child"s First Job Could Be Hazardous to Her Health
The Atlantic has published an article about workplace safety among teens, using research conducted by NC State sociologist Michael Schulman. An estimated 80 percent of teens are employed at some point during their high school years--but many of them are ill-equipped to deal with on-the-job hazards. ... Read More
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Michael Schwalbe on The State of Things
North Carolina State University sociologist Michael Schwalbe’s new book, Smoke Damage: Voices from the Front Lines of America’s Tobacco Wars, (University of Wisconsin Press/2011) is a collection of portraits of people whose lives have been changed by tobacco. The images and the stories that accompany them span a wide range of ages, social classes and professional disciplines, from lawyers and farmers to disease survivors. The intimate photos tell a story not captured by statistics, but the book is not merely sentimental. Schwalbe joins host Frank Stasio to discuss the social causes of the worldwide tobacco epidemic and what can be done to end it. Also joining the conversation are Sally Herndon, head of North Carolina’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch; Wade Hampton, a laryngectomy survivor and anti-smoking advocate; and Cliff Douglas, director of the University of Michigan Tobacco Research Network.
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Martha Crowley on American Work Problems on NPR
On "The State of Things" -WUNC, North Carolina Public Radio, Frank Stasio
July 6, 2011
The Problem With Work
Economists say the recession is officially over, but many people remain out of work and the unemployed are still feeling the effects of the down economy. But new research suggests that those who never lost their jobs are also still suffering. Some took on twice the responsibilities for no new pay or reduced pay. The effect of that kind of pressure has yet to be studied but experts suspect we will feel the strain at work and at home for years to come. Host Frank Stasio examines what work is like right now in America with Kathi Weeks, professor of Women’s Studies at Duke University and the author of a new book called “The Problem With Work: Feminism, Marxism, Antiwork Politics, and Postwork Imaginaries." (Duke University Press/2011); Martha Crowley, a professor of sociology at North Carolina State University; Allan Lind, the James Vincent Professor of Leadership at The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University; and Clara Jeffrey, co-editor of Mother Jones Magazine and co-author of its recent cover story, “The Speedup.”
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Alum Touches Base with Saudi Arabian Youngsters
Daniel Caldwell (Sociology '04) was the News and Observer's July 10 Tar Heel of the Week. Caldwell has been coaching baseball in Saudi Arabia, and that experience compelled the former NC State pitcher to return to CHASS to earn his Master of Public Administration degree. ... Read More
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Study: Most Parents Unaware Of Teen Workplace Risks
Most parents are unaware of the risks their teenagers face in the workplace and could do more to help them understand and prepare for those hazards, according to a new study co-authored by Professor of Sociology Michael Schulman. The study highlights the role parents play in helping their children get those jobs, and making good decisions about workplace safety and health. [...]
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Jessica Stone wins CHASS Master's Thesis Award
Congratulations to Jessica Stone who won this year’s CHASS Master’s Thesis Award for her research entitled “Paleodiet and Nutrition and Grand Bay, Carriacou, West Indies.”
Department welcomes Anna Manzoni
Dr. Anna Manzoni will join the department in the fall. Manzoni’s teaching and research interests include research methods, the life course, immigration, stratification, social inequality, and labor markets.
Rafael Gallegos on Latino Labor Rights on NPR
On "The State of Things" -WUNC, North Carolina Public Radio, Frank Stasio
June 2, 2011
Listen at: http://wunc.org/tsot/archive/Human_Rights_At_Abby_Court.mp3
Human Rights at Abbey Court
A few years ago, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Sociology Professor Judith Blau and her teaching assistant Rafael Gallegos were at Abbey Court Apartments complex in Carrboro, NC. They were passing out flyers on behalf of the Latino cultural organization El Centro when they were nearly run off by the police. The irony of the situation – that the Abbey Court neighborhood has a high density of immigrants who need support and services and that Abbey Court had the highest crime rate in Carrboro and a hostile relationship with the police department – was not lost on Blau. She rented an apartment in Abbey Court, started a nonprofit and opened the Chapel Hill and Carrboro Human Rights Center. Today the Center occupies two Abbey Court apartments, has a thriving afterschool program, houses many community empowerment programs. Judith Blau, Rafael Gallegos and Nancy Hilburn, who runs the afterschool program at the Human Rights Center, join host Frank Stasio to talk about their successful fight for human rights at Abbey Court.
Rafael Gallegos was both a staff member and undergraduate degree recipient in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at North Carolina State University.
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Alyson Harding awarded internship at Smithsonian Institution
Congratulations to Alyson Harding, a bioarchaeology major and Park Scholar who was recently awarded an internship at the Smithsonian Institution as part of the Natural History Research Experiences (NHRE) program. Alyson was one of only 6 students out of 200 applications around the country to receive this prestigious award. This program, which provides housing, travel, and a $5000 stipend over the course of 10 weeks this summer, will allow Alyson to get hands-on experience working with Smithsonian staff on research related to bioarchaeology.
Michael Schulman is the new president-elect of the Rural Sociological Society
Professor Schulman will serve as president of the Rural Sociological Society for 2012-2013.
Ron Wimberly has been appointed to the 2011-2012 SSS Role of Honor
Ron Wimberley has been named to the 2011-2012 Southern Sociological Society Role of Honor. The Role of Honor is the highest recognition the SSS gives and recognizes a life time achievement. The 2012 annual meeting of the SSS will feature several aspects of Wimberley’s work.
Sociology graduate students Brad Ray, Cindy Dollar, and Kelly Thames publish
Sociology graduate students Brad Ray, Cindy Dollar, and Kelly Thames publish an article, "Observations of Reintegrative Shaming in a Mental Health Court," in International MJournal of Law and Psychiatry. Congratulations to these graduate students!
Laura Fitzwater receives NCSU Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award
Laura Fitzwater receives the 2011 NC State Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. She is a sociology graduate student in our department. Congratulations to Laura!
Facial Structure Of Men And Women Has Become More Similar Over Time
Research continues to prove the closing gap between men and women, or at least of their craniofacial features. Dr. Ann Ross, an associate professor of anthropology, acted as the principal investigator of a study which examined hundreds of Spanish a ... Read More
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NYT covers Professor Ann Ross' research
The New York Times featured Ann Ross's forensic research on the effect of weight on the femur.
Steve McDonald selected to participate in U.S. Department of Labor's Scholars Program
Professor Steve McDonald was one of three social scientists selected to participate in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Scholars Program for 2011. The award provides summer funding to conduct research on informal mentoring relationships and employment outcomes, the results of which will be presented to the DOL in the Fall.
Ginnie Aldige publishes research on mental health
Professor Ginnie Aldige has two publications on mental health that were released this month.
Hiday, VA and HW Wales. 2011. Criminalization and Mental Illness in Applied Research and Evaluation in Community Mental Health Services: An Update of Key Research Domains, edited by Evelyn R Vingilis and Stephen A State. Montreal: McGill-Queens’ University Press, pp. 80 - 93.
Hiday, VA. 2011. Community Systems Collide and Cooperate: The Case of the Legal and Mental Health Systems in The Handbook of Health, Illness & Healing: Blueprint for the 21st Century, edited by Bernice A. Pescosolido, Jack K. Martin, Jane McLeod, and Anne Rogers. New York: Springer, pp. 159 - 170.
Study Finds That Overweight People Really Are Big-Boned
by Matt Shipman
adpated by Lauren Lopez-Ibanez, Communication Intern
One of the blind spots in forensic science, particularly in identifying unknown remains, is the inability of experts to determine how much an individual weighed based on his or he ... Read More
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Spring CHASS enewsletter
Tune in to UNC-TV this Thursday, March 24, at 7:30 p.m. for LEARNING WITH THE WORLD: Global Languages in North Carolina, and the second story in the series about critical languages in North Carolina. The 7-minute feature will be part of the nightly newsmagazine show NORTH CAROLINA NOW on UNC-TV, statewide public television. This presentation’s focus is on Arabic language programs in ourschools and features Raffik Missak, who is teaching at Winding SpringsElementary (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools), and Lt. Col. Ken Ratashak, who will share an innovative Arabic program at North Carolina State University.
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SOC & ANT students at 6th Annual NC State University Graduate School Research Symposium
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology is well represented at the 6th Annual NC State University Graduate School Research Symposium to be held at the McKimmon Center on March 21, 2011, 1:00-5:30 p.m. Following are students presenting posters: Jennifer Buchan (SOC), Ashley Humphries (ANT), Charlotte Mick (ANT), Adrianne M. Offenbecker (ANT), and Rebecca Y. Sutphin (ANT) with additional information about their posters and research.
Jennifer L. Buchan, Sociology Program, Advisors: Margaret Zahn and Brett Clark, Poster Number: 20, Child Homicide in the Southern United States: The Role of Religion in the Subculture of Violence
This study of child homicide in the Southern United States compares child homicide rates in the Southern U.S. to the other Census-defined regions of the continental United States. It is hypothesized that religious fundamentalism in the South leads to higher rates of child homicide than in other parts of the country. Child homicide is defined as the killing of those aged 0-11. Region parallels the U.S. Census defined regions. GSS data from 1976-2006 is used to measure religious fundamentalism and region variables, also using income variables to control for low economic levels. The FBI’s Supplemental Homicide Reports, ranging from 1976-2006 are used to measure child homicide rates by state and region. Results detail how religious fundamentalism affects the killing of children in the United States.
Ashley L. Humphries, Anthropology Program, Advisor: Ann Ross, Poster Number: 70, Craniometric Variation in the Caribbean and Latin America as Influenced by the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
As the application of forensic anthropology increases worldwide, especially in cases of mass disasters and genocide, the need for population specific methods and research has become more important, particularly those concerned with ancestry. Until recently, ancestral categories have been very broad. For example, the term Hispanic is a broad category which assigns a missing person to one of many Spanish speaking countries. Increasingly, investigations have shown that humans are far more diverse than these broad categories account for and have shown that modern statistical methods can more narrowly identify intraregional variation as well as answer broader questions concerning human migration and expansion.
Between the 16th and 19th centuries, nearly 10 million African slaves were transported to the Americas. This event brought together Europeans, indigenous Americans, and various African groups that drastically changed the cultural and biological composition of the region. To investigate the diversity found within the Caribbean and Latin America, samples from different African groups, Mexican, Cuban, Panamanian, and Ecuadorian samples were compared using traditional craniometrics. To evaluate group similarities and differences, Mahalanobis D2 were calculated using SAS 9.13. Results show that all Africa groups significantly differ from one another. Interestingly, Panamanians are not significantly different from Angolans or São Toméan. While the Mexican sample was significantly different from all African samples, Mexicans were not significantly different from the Panamanians, possibly suggesting similar indigenous and/or African origin. These results indicate that the various African populations significantly differ from one another and that this diversity has contributed to the heterogeneity in the Caribbean and Latin America. This research highlights the importance of investigating biological diversity in regional samples, which would allow forensic anthropologists to determine ancestry more accurately and aid in narrowing the pool of missing persons. In addition, this research helps to fill a void in African diaspora studies.
Charlotte Mick, Anthropology Program, Advisor: D. Troy Case, Poster Number: 115, Status and Health at the Mississippian Period Site of Averbuch
Social organization has been determined to influence nutritional health in a variety of different archaeological populations. The reconstruction of social organization utilizing mortuary analysis may be further substantiated by corresponding biological data. Theoretical principles guiding this goal of mortuary analysis emphasize a combination of structural and social traits. For Mississippian chiefdoms, these are largely based on Peebles and Kus’ (1977) prescriptions. A test of these prescriptions is performed on the Tennessee Averbuch population, combining burial good mortuary data and the following nutritional health indicators: linear enamel hypoplasia frequencies, and the presence or absence of porotic hyperostosis and cribra orbitalia. Applying Goodenough’s (1965) social role theory, burial good data are reconfigured into “diversity scores” which represent the variety of types of goods present. Diversity scores are evaluated to consider if higher social status afforded individuals any protection against nutritional stress under a Mississippian redistributive system. Some nutritional stress was observed across all diversity scores, but the highest social status individuals did not appear affected by the greatest stress levels. The Averbuch population appears to have been in poor health in general, but social status may have offered some defense against extreme nutritional stress. Social and structural organization at Averbuch does not conform to a Mississippian chiefdom designation as it is commonly assessed.
Adrianne M. Offenbecker, Anthropology Program, Advisor: D. Troy Case, Poster Number: 128, Examining the Role of Environmental Stress in the Etiology of Skeletal Defects
Frequencies of skeletal defects within families are noticeably elevated when compared with frequencies found in the general population, which indicates a strong genetic component in the etiology of these traits. Clinical studies, however, have demonstrated that certain environmental factors, particularly dietary deficiency and disease, may trigger or enhance the genetic predisposition for developmental defects. While it is likely that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the etiology of skeletal defects, it is unclear which specific traits are most sensitive to environmental stress. The primary objective of this study is to examine whether environmental stress causes elevated levels of developmental defects within a population. To test this hypothesis, a total of 415 individuals from three archaeological cemeteries were examined for the presence of 45 skeletal defects. The samples are derived from temporally distinct Arikara sites whose inhabitants experienced varying levels of environmental stress over several centuries. Defect frequencies were calculated for each of the three sites and interpopulation differences were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test. The only defects that varied significantly between samples were the os styloideum and vertebral shifting, which were more prevalent in the Mobridge sample, and the asterion bone, which occurred most frequently in the Leavenworth sample. These findings suggest that environmental stress has minimal influence in the etiology of developmental anomalies since the majority of skeletal defect frequencies were similar among the three samples examined for this study.
Rebecca Y. Sutphin, Anthropology Program, Advisor: Ann Ross, Poster Number: 161, Juvenile stature estimation of the Arikara Plains Indians
Limited analysis has been conducted for estimating stature derived from the long bone lengths of juvenile skeletons. While juvenile stature estimation may be particularly beneficial in the forensic setting, it may have applications for use as a proxy for nutritional health of past populations like adult stature. Stature equations developed by Ruff (2007) and Smith (2007) were used to predict juvenile stature from long bone measurements of 1-17 year old Arikara Plains Indians from three temporally distinct burial sites spanning 1600-1832 C.E.(Extended Coalescent (EC), Postcontact Coalescent (PC), and Disorganized Coalescent (DC) time periods). Ages were collapsed into three year age ranges: 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, 13-15, and 16-17 year olds. T-test results revealed a significant difference in the 4-6age range for the femoral derived statures between EC and DC (p-value = 0.0005) and PC and DC (p-value = 0.013) sites. The tibia and combined femur and tibia stature estimates also showed a significant difference during the 4-6 range for the EC and PC sites (tibia p-value = 0.03; femur and tibia p-value = 0.05) and EC and DC sites (tibia p-value = 0.01; femur and tibia p-value = 0.002). Changes in femoral length were noted in the DC site, while tibial changes were noted in the EC site. Interestingly, results of the combined femur and tibia stature estimates suggest a shift in bone length proportions, while juveniles maintained the same relative stature possibly reflecting the presence of environmental stressors for the Arikara juveniles in this age category.
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Jon Brauer and Christine Mair have accepted faculty positions in Nebraska and Maryland
Congratulations to our outstanding (soon to be) Ph.D's!
Job Brauer will be joining the faculty in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska-Omaha starting in August 2011.
Christine Mair will be joining the faculty in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County starting in August 2011.
Martha Crowley received the Lonnie and Carol Poole Award for Excellence in Teaching
Dr. Martha Crowley received the Lonnie and Carol Poole Award for Excellence in Teaching at the CHASS Awards Ceremony on April 26.
Troy Case named Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor
Dr. Troy Case was named an Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor. He will be recognized at the CHASS Awards Ceremony on April 26.
NEW! Introducing CHASS Academic Support Initiative
Hey, CHASS students! Got questions about intracampus transfer? Registration procedures? The General Education Program? Need some help to get on top of your academic game? Step right up to the Academic Support Initiative (ASI) booths in Caldwell Lounge ... Read More
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Tim Wallace was awarded First Year College Student Advocacy Award
Tim Wallace won this year's First Year College Student Advocacy Award. This award recognizes "individuals and departments who embody excellence in service to students, who demonstrate availability and openness to students, and who use their roles to advocate for policies and programs that are in the best interest of all undergraduates students at NC State."
Maxine Atkinson Wins National Teaching Award
Dr. Maxine Atkinson, head of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, has won the American Sociology Association's 2011 Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award. She will be honored at the association's annual meeting in August. Atki ... Read More
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Scott Fitzpatrick on NPR
Dr. Scott Fitzpatrick talks on NPR about a phenomenon of very large stone "money" on a small, remote Pacific Island.
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Tim Wallace takes over as President of NAPA
Tim Wallace just began a two-year term as Preaident of NAPA, the National Association for the Practice of Anthropology. NAPA is a section of the American Anthropological Association and is the only one dealing with applied and practicing anthropology. The AAA is increasingly drawing upon NAPA leadership in developing policy suggestions on ways the AAA can increase its engagement with governmental and non-governmental organizations, corporations, and citizens outside the field.
Spring CHASS enewsletter
We've just sent this newsy enewsletter to the 17,000 CHASS alums for whom we have email addresses.
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Scott Fitzpatrick now a Research Collaborator at the Smithsonian
Scott Fitzpatrick was recently appointed as a Research Collaborator at the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution.
Ann Ross awarded grant
Ann Ross has just been awarded a grant in the amount of $284,763, titled "Testing the Validity of Radiographic Comparisons in Positive Identifications." She is the PI and Sam Simmons, MD., from the NC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, is Co-PI.
Wimberley named 2010 Distinguished Rural Sociologist
Appearing in the current 2010 fall issue of Perspectives, Ron Wimberley won the 2010 Distinguished Rural Sociologist Award given by the Rural Sociological Society. Below is an online link to the Perspectives article.
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Research Will Help ID Bodies Left Behind By Chilean Earthquake, Pinochet Regime
New research from NC State University anthropologist Ann Ross will help medical examiners and others identify human remains of those killed during the recent earthquake in Chile, as well as the bodies of the “disappeared” who were killed during the Pinochet administration. [...]
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Nora Haenn receives National Science Foundation grant
Nora Haenn was awarded a grant this year from the National Science Foundation. The grant builds on the Fulbright-Garcia Robles Award that she received last year and is entitled: "Effects of International Migration on Land Use and Conservation in Mexico." In general, the research looks at migration to the United States from the perspective of communities that migrants leave. Two local news articles have been published that foreshadow some of the findings.
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Scott Fitzpatrick on Editorial Board of the "Journal of Anthropology"
Scott Fitzpatrick was recently appointed to the Editorial Board of the Journal of Anthropology.
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Forensics Lab Makes “Awesome College Labs” List
Popular Science magazine has tabbed a forensics analysis lab taught by CHASS anthropologist Ann Ross as one of the "30 Most Awesome College Labs" in the nation. In Popular Science's online gallery counting down the labs, the magazine writes about the lab, No. 28 in the list.
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Homicide Studies devotes an issue to Patty McCall's co-authored research
The August 2010 issue of Homicide Studies contains papers highlighting the impact of Patty McCall's classic 1990 AJS article with Land and Cohen on the "Structural Covariates of Homicide Rates."
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Criminology Major Named Finalist in Oprah Contest
Senior criminology major Kornelius Bascombe has been named a finalist in an online contest sponsored by Oprah Winfrey and reality-show producer Mark Burnett. The winning contestant will host a talk show on Winfrey's OWN network.
Ann Ross is profiled on NPR's The State of Things
Ann Ross was a guest on WUNC's "The State of Things" for their "Meet" series. "Meet Ann Ross" provided a biographical sketch and discussed her recent research activities.
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Sarah Bowen's research is featured on NPR's Marketplace
National Public Radio's Marketplace program reported on research conducted by Sarah Bowen which examined regional differences in tequila and cheese production and their impact on agricultural development and well-being.
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Bruce Cheek wins the CHASS SPA Award of Excellence
Bruce Cheek is the winner of the 2010 CHASS SPA Award of Excellence, which recognizes his outstanding contributions to the Sociology and Anthropology Department and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Way to go, Bruce!
Martha Crowley's research on changes in working conditions is published in Social Problems
Martha Crowley's recent study examines the long-term detrimental impact of labor practices on worker satisfaction. The paper was published in the August issue of Social Problems and the results were highlighted on NSF's website.
Crowley, Martha, Daniel Tope, Lindsey Joyce Chamberlain, and Randy Hodson. 2010.
“Neo-Taylorism at Work: Occupational Change in the Post-Fordist Era.” Social Problems 57(3):421-447.
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Kelly Austin publishes research in Rural Sociology
Kelly Austin has published a research article in the latest issue of Rural Sociology: The "Hamburger Connection" as Ecologically Unequal Exchange: A Cross-National Investigation of Beef Exports and Doforestation in Less-Developed Countries.
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Maxine Atkinson is the 2010 Carla B. Howery Award winner
"The 2010 Carla B. Howery Award for Developing Teacher-Scholars goes to Maxine P. Atkinson, Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at North Carolina State University. Maxine's career goals and integration of graduate students in her work mirror the criteria for the award, making her an ideal Howery Award recipient."
The Carla B. Howery Award for Developing Teacher-Scholars recognizes that one of the most important ways to contribute to teaching sociology is through training and mentoring future teacher-scholars. Teacher-scholars use the scholarly literature in their own teaching and contribute to the scholarship of teaching and learning by publicly documenting teaching activities. This award is given annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to teaching sociology through mentoring and training of graduate students to teach sociology and contribute to the scholarship of teaching and learning.
CSI Raleigh: NC State Holds National Forensic Science Workshop For Law Enforcement
Law enforcement officers from around the United States are coming to North Carolina State University to participate in a weeklong crime scene investigation workshop, which involves solving a series of mock murders while learning about state-of-the-art technology in the field of forensic science. "Discovery and Recovery: Death in Natural Environments," being held June 1-4 at NC [...]
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Ginny Aldige wins distinguished career award from SSSP
Ginny Aldige won the 2010 Greenley Award for Distinguished Career in Research in the Sociology of Mental Health given by of the Mental Health Section of SSSP. The award recognizes individuals who have distinguished careers and made a significant impact on the field through their scholarship, teaching, and community involvement.
Ron Wimberley wins top award from Rural Sociological Society
Ron Wimberley won the 2010 Distinguished Rural Sociologist Award given by the Rural Sociological Society.
Kylie Parrotta & Gretchen Thompson win grad student paper award from SSSP
Kylie Parrota and Gretchen Thompson won 1st place in the Graduate Student Paper Competition for the Teaching Social Problems Division of the Society for the Study of Social Problems. The title of their winning paper is, "Socioloy of the Prison Classroom: Marginalized Identities and Sociological Imaginations Behind Bars."
New Forensics Research Will Help Identify Remains Of Children
New research from North Carolina State University is now giving forensic scientists a tool that can be used to help identify the remains of children, and may contribute to resolving missing-persons cases, among other uses. Identifying skeletal remains can be a key step in solving crimes, but traditionally it has been exceptionally difficult to identify [...]
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MSNBC reports on Sinikka Elliott's research on teen sexuality
Sinikka Elliott's research--which shows that parents often view their own teenagers as sexually naive, while viewing other teens as sexually predatory--was reported on MSNBC.
Sinikka Elliott. May 2010. “Parents’ Constructions of Teen Sexuality: Sex Panics, Contradictory Discourses, and Social Inequality” Symbolic Interaction.
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Research from Lisa Tichavsky and Margaret Zahn to appear in Crime and Delinquency
The research of Lisa Tichavsky and Margaret Zahn (co-authored with Kevin Strom and Tara Warner) has been accepted for publication in the journal Crime and Delinquency.
Policing Juveniles: Domestic Violence Arrest Policies, Gender, and Police Response to Child-Parent Violence
This study analyzed National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data from 2000-2004 to determine how domestic violence arrest policies, along with incident, offender, and victim characteristics, influence arrest outcomes in violent incidents committed by juveniles against their parents. Our primary interest was to assess whether the enforcement of domestic violence arrest laws, coupled with increased police involvement in familial disputes, has contributed to the decreasing gender gap in juvenile arrests for violent offenses. Results indicate that domestic violence arrest policies had positive effects on arrest outcomes both for juvenile females and males accused of assaulting a parent, as juveniles were more likely to be arrested in states with mandatory or pro-arrest policies than in states with discretionary arrest policies. However, there is also evidence that, beyond the effects of the domestic arrest laws, girls became increasingly more likely to be arrested for assaults against parents over the five year study period relative to boys. The implications for these findings are discussed including the importance of better understanding how police respond to domestic violence incidents involving juveniles.
Professors Schwalbe, Smith, and McDonald represent at the CHASS Awards ceremony
Bruce Cheek wins the CHASS SPA Award of Excellence
Bruce Cheek is the winner of the 2010 CHASS SPA Award of Excellence, which recognizes his outstanding contributions to the Sociology and Anthropology Department and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Way to go, Bruce!
Bill Smith wins the Outstanding Extension Service Award
Bill Smith was awarded the Outstanding Extension Service Award for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and inducted into the Academy of Outstanding Faculty Engaged in Extension (AOFEE).
This award is given in recognition of his dedication and demonstrated achievements in serving the people of North Carolina. Efforts such as his are central to the accomplishment of North Carolina State University’s land-grant mission.
Brad Ray and Steve McDonald win Mentoring Awards from SGSA
Brad Ray was voted Best Graduate Student Mentor by the Sociology Graduate Student Association.
Steve McDonald received the Faculty Mentoring Award from the SGSA.
Jake Day & Steve McDonald discuss race diversity and social networks on NPR
Jake Day and Steve McDonald appeared as guests on NPR's The State of Things on March 9 to discuss their research on race diversity and social networks in college football coaching.
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Department welcomes Kim Ebert to the faculty
Dr. Kim Ebert will join the Sociology faculty in the Fall. She conducts research on immigration, race/ethnicity, urban and community, and social movements.
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Feinian Chen and Guangya Liu publish their research in ASR
Feinian Chen, Yang Yang, and Guangya Liu published a new study in the February issue of the American Sociological Review.
Social Change and Socioeconomic Disparities in Health over the Life Course in China: A Cohort Analysis
Feinian Chen, North Carolina State University; Yang Yang, University of Chicago; and Guangya Liu, North Carolina State University
Does the health gap between individuals with higher and lower socioeconomic status (SES) increase or narrow when people age? Is the process different for people who were born at different time periods? An article in the February issue of the American Sociological Review tries to answer these questions in the context of China, a country that has undergone dramatic social changes in recent decades. Consistent with recent U.S. studies, the researchers find that people with higher SES have better health than individuals in the lower SES group in China – and this advantage increases as people age. They also find that people born at different time periods experience the process of health decline differently. For example, education and income have stronger positive influences on health for people who were born in the 1930s than for those who were born in the 1960s. This cohort effect is different from that found in studies of the United States. These cross-national differences could be due to the relationship between SES and health behavior, China’s stage of health transition, and the changing power of the state government.
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Scott Fitzpatrick's research on Palau is touted on Media Watch
An Australian news program, Media Watch, highlighted the research of Scott Fitzpatrick, which debunks the assertions made by the documentary film, "Mystery Skulls of Palau."
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Martha Crowley's research on Hispanics featured on NPR's Marketplace
NPR's Marketplace reported on Martha Crowley's research. The study showed that--contrary to popular stereotypes--poverty, unemployment, and crime declined between 1990 and 2000 in rural areas that experienced substantial increases in the Hispanic population.
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New York Times article highlights Steve McDonald's research on race and job leads
Steve McDonald's coauthored research (with Nan Lin and Dan Ao) on race inequality in access to job leads was mentioned in a front page article in the New York Times. The study found that white male supervisors receive significantly more job leads than female and minority supervisors.
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Andrea Hunt's co-authored article wins publication of the year award
Andrea Hunt's article, "Gender Effects Along the Juvenile Justice System: Evidence of a Gendered Organization" (co-authored with Nicole Carr, Kenneth Hudson, and Roma S. Hanks) was selected as the 2008 publication of the year in Feminist Criminology.
Ginnie Aldige participates in expert panel to discuss health care reform
Ginnie Aldige will appear as member of an expert panel of CHASS faculty to address health care reform. The roundtable is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, in Riddick Hall, Room 325.
Ann Ross's research featured on WRAL
Ann Ross's forensic research that helped identify a murder victim in Rocky Mount was featured on WRAL.
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Kylie Parrotta wins an award for her dissertation research
Congratulations to Kylie Parrotta for being awarded the 2009 Stanford Lyman Memorial Scholarship for her dissertation work on negotiating sport and spectacle in women's flat track roller derby. The Stanford Lyman Memorial Scholarship is sponsored by the Mid South Sociological Association and awards $1000 to PhD candidates working on dissertations in sociological theory, symbolic interaction, race relations, law, or ethics.
Jon Brauer publishes research in Criminology
Gina Agostini wins the Graduate School Thesis Award for CHASS
Thesis Title: "The Effect of Obesity on Long Bones: A Multidirectional Approach"
Stephanie Teixeira-Poit wins the 2009 Graduate School Thesis Award for CALS
Mark Bodkin and Padraic Burns win Student Paper Awards from American Society of Criminology
Mark Bodkin won first place for his paper entitled, "Beyond Human and Social Capital: The Stigma of Incarceration, Race, and Their Effect on Earnings Through the Life Course."
Padraic Burns was the second place winner for his paper, "Disadvantaged Neighborhoods and Anger: Implications for Community-Level Theories of Crime and Delinquency."
Graduate student research highlighted in Perspectives, the CALS magazine
"In the last issue of Perspectives, the CALS magazine that goes out to the university community and alums, one of Karl Jicha's projects is featured. It's the one in which he obtained computers for the schools on the Caribbean island of Carriacou.
The story is attached here and at
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/agcomm/magazine/summer09/n_caribbean.html.
Good job, Karl!
And thanks from all of us
R. Wimberley"
Dr. Wimberley later said:
"I should add that several of our grad students, past and present, participated on the computer project along with Karl who led the effort. These include Greg Fulkerson, Gretchen Thompson, Jonathan May, and Delmar Wright.
Thanks to all for making it possible for the Carriacou children to use computers and for making our department look good in the process!
Ron W."
Steve McDonald's research on gender/race inequality in the labor market mentioned in the press
McDonald, Steve, Nan Lin, and Dan Ao. 2009. "Networks of Opportunity: Gender, Race, and Job Leads." Social Problems 56:385-402.
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Graduate students win first prize for poster at Rural Sociology conference
Teaching Sociology special issue features articles from current and former NC State sociologists
Macomber, Kris, Sarah E. Rusche, and Maxine P. Atkinson. 2009. "Introduction. From the Outside Looking In: The Sociology of the Classroom." Teaching Sociology, 37, 3.
Atkinson, Maxine P., Alison R. Buck, and Andrea N. Hunt. 2009. "Sociology of the College Classroom: Applying Sociological Theory at the Classroom Level." Teaching Sociology, 37, 3.
Mallinson, Christine. 2009. "Language, Interaction, and Inequality: A Teaching Exercise for the Sociological Classroom." Teaching Sociology, 37, 3.
Steve McDonald wins Faculty Research & Professional Development Award
Ann Ross named research collaborator at Smithsonian
Mark Bodkin selected to participate in NLS Summer Workshop
Sinikka Elliott publishes research on union formation among gay and lesbian couples
Commitment Without Marriage: Union Formation Among Long-Term Same-Sex Couples
June 2009, Journal of Family Issues
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Stephanie Teixeira-Poit elected to the Rural Sociological Society Council
Moxley wins Distinguished Rural Sociologist Award
Raymond Garrett-Peters won the 2009 Blumer Award
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Raymond Garrett-Peters Wins 2009 Blumer Award
http://www.espach.salford.ac.uk/sssi/awards.php
First Cohort of Anthropology Master of Arts Degree Students Graduates in May
May 09 Graduation
Jeff Leiter featured in a news article on labor union organizing efforts
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Graduate students complete Certificate of Accomplishment in Teaching
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Schwalbe,Fitzpatrick and Crowley nominated for CHASS faculty awards
Schwalbe,Fitzpatrick and Crowley nominated for CHASS faculty awards
Michael Schwalbe receives the Outstanding Graduate Professor Award from CHASS
NC State's Atkinson Wins UNC System Teaching Excellence Award
The award goes to an outstanding educator at each UNC system campus, and comes with a prize of $7,500 and a bronze medallion.
The Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching is the most prestigious award given to faculty for teaching excellence and was created in 1994 to underscore the importance of teaching and encourage, recognize and reward outstanding teaching. Nominees for the award must be tenured professors who have spent at least seven years at the nominating institutions and who have "demonstrated excellent or exceptional teaching ability over a sustained period of time."
Atkinson joined the NC State faculty in 1980. She has been an advisor for more than 600 undergraduates, and served on panels for more than 50 theses and dissertations. Atkinson has also served as a teaching mentor for 15 students.
"NC State has a unique mission as a research university with a commitment to provide an education that focuses on the skills of discovery," Atkinson says. "My job is to construct diverse opportunities for learning, to ask questions rather than providing all the answers, to challenge rather than to dictate. We train students for jobs but we educate them for personal growth and community engagement. This current economic crisis reminds us of the serious consequences of having an educated population equipped to make ethical decisions and reasoned judgments."
As a recipient of the prestigious teaching award, it should come as no surprise that Atkinson has done extensive research on the scholarship of teaching and learning. Her research also examines the sociology of the family and gender, with a focus on the economic relationship between spouses, and aging particularly the relationship between adult children and their parents.
Atkinson earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia, her master's degree in sociology from Georgia State University and her doctoral degree in sociology from Washington State University.
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Rodney Engen testifies before the Unites States Sentencing Commission.
Anne Schiller is this year's recipient of the Jackson Rigney Service Award
staff member at North Carolina State University to the promotion of
international understanding and service to the University and/or to the
international community. It is sponsored by the Eta Chapter of Sigma
Iota Rho (the International Studies Honor Society).To be awarded April 6th at the annual Sigma Iota Rho banquet.
Anne Schiller is this year's recipient of the Jackson Rigney Service Award
staff member at North Carolina State University to the promotion of
international understanding and service to the University and/or to the
international community. It is sponsored by the Eta Chapter of Sigma
Iota Rho (the International Studies Honor Society).To be awarded April 6th at the annual Sigma Iota Rho banquet.
Maxine Atkinson receives the Board of Governors Award For Excellence in Teaching
Dr. Maxine Atkinson has been recognized as the University's Board of Governors Award Recipient! She will be honored at the University Teaching Award Reception at 5:00 pm today in Talley Student Center. The reception (at 5pm in the North Gallery; it follows the university faculty meeting) will give us the chance to acknowledge her achievement. The awards ceremony (5:45-6:30, Talley Student Center Ballroom) will formally acknowledge her contributions to teaching at NC State. Please join us celebrating her success (not least of which is the first time in 15 years that a CHASS colleague has been recognized as the University's Board of Governors Award recipient!).
Dick Parham to receive an "Award for Excellence" from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Dick Parham has been chosen to receive an "Award for Excellence" from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He has been recognized for dedicated service to the department, college, and university. His nomination letter notes: "His skills and talents include a pleasant and courteous demeanor, an unflappable calmness, a capacity for hard work, good judgment, and a strong sense of fairness."
Troy Case named Outstanding Teacher
Troy Case was named an Outstanding Teacher and voted a member of NC State's Academy of Outstanding Teachers. He will be recognized at Spring Commencement and at the Honors Baccalaureate and Celebration of Academic Excellence in May. In addition, there will be a reception on March 23 from 5:00-6:30 honoring Troy and the other teaching award winners.
Faculty and Graduate Students present at the American Psychology and Health Society meeting
Ginnie Aldige presented with Brad Ray "Criminal Justice Outcomes of a Mental Health Court" at the American Psychology and Law Society meeting in San Antonio, March 6, 2009.
Professor Crowley's research on sexual harassment in work groups mentioned in the press
Martha Crowley’s collaborative research (to appear in Work and Occupations) was noted in Newswise, News Guide, and News-Medical, on Nov. 12, 2008. Their findings show that women are not more likely to be sexually harassed when they are the minority or majority in a work group, but when their work group has a similar proportion of males and females. http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/546390/
Professor Bowen's research on tequila farms discussed on NPR
Sarah Bowen's research on Tequila farms in Mexico was discussed on NPR’s The State of Things, on January 23, 2009. Her research was also highlighted in the Raleigh News & Observer on January 29, 2009. http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1385999.html Her research shows that while tequila’s surge in popularity over the past 15 years has been a boon for industry, it is triggering a significant hangover of social and environmental problems in the region of Mexico where the once-notorious liquor is produced.
Professor McCall is awarded a Guggenheim Foundation grant to study crime in the EU
Patricia L. McCall has been awarded a grant from the Guggenheim Foundation for her study on "The Longitudinal and Contextual Analyses of Violent Crime in the European Union." The proposed research will increase our understanding of the effect of macro-structural forces on homicide rates over time across European nations as well as at sub-national units within those nations.
American Psychology and Law Society
Ginnie Aldige presented with Brad Ray "Criminal Justice Outcomes of a Mental Health Court" at the American Psychology and Law Society meeting in San Antonio, March 6, 2009.
Bugs, Bones, and Botany ©
Dr. Ann Ross leads the Bugs, Bones, and Botany © weeklong seminar for forensic specialists and criminologists from and around North Carolina. To learn more, please click here
Salerno Wins Independent Weekly Poetry Contest
Chris Salerno, a long-time English Department Lecturer, has been named the winner of the 2009 Independent Weekly Poetry contest for his poem, "Whirl," which will appear in the Feb. 25th edition of the Independent. The prize carries a $500 award and the opportunity for Chris to read from his work at a reception/reading scheduled for March 18th.
LCW Major wins Dell Magazine Award
Undergraduate LCW major Joshua Eure has been named the winner of the 2009 Dell Magazines Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing (formerly the Isaac Asimov Award), sponsored by Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine and the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts, and supported by the Humanities Institute at the University of South Florida and the School of Mass Communications at the University of South Florida.
The $500 award goes to the best unpublished and unsold science fiction or fantasy short story submitted by a full-time undergraduate college student. The winner is invited to the IAFA annual Conference on the Fantastic in mid-March in Orlando, FL, and the winning story will be considered for publication in either Asimov's science fiction magazine or in the on-line version of the magazine.
Josh's story"We Were Real," was written for John Kessel's ENG 488 class in the spring of 2008. In addition, Maggie Morgan, a student in Kessel's ENG 388 class in the fall of 2008, placed third in the competition.
Will U.S. policy toward Cuba finally change?
U.S. policy toward Cuba has been frozen since the 1960s. What are the prospects for change? Nicholas Robins, history, featured in Q section.
CHASS Dean’s Search Update
The Provost’s office has named four finalists for the CHASS dean position. As part of their campus interviews, the candidates will give public presentations about the future of CHASS. They will also meet with various groups of faculty, students, staff, and administrators. To learn more about the candidates and check the complete schedules, visit the Provost’s Web site.
Atkinson Named Head of Sociology and Anthropology Department
Dr. Maxine P. Atkinson has been named head of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, succeeding Dr. Ed Kick, who is returning to the department's faculty. Atkinson has been on the faculty of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences since 1980. She will step down from her current position as director of the First Year Inquiry Program, a position she has held for the last five years. Atkinson also served two terms as associate head of the Department of Sociology, was president of the Southern Sociological Society and served as Director of the Service Learning Program.
News Release
Awards
Patricia L. McCall has been awarded a grant from the Guggenheim Foundation for her study on "TheLongitudinal and Contextual Analyses of Violent Crime in the European Union."
The proposed research will increase our understanding of the effect of macro-structural forces on homicide rates over time across European nations as well as at sub-national units within those nations.
In the News
Sarah Bowen's research on Tequila farms in Mexico was discussed on NPR’s The State of Things, on January 23, 2009. Her research was also highlighted in the Raleigh News & Observer on January 29, 2009. http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1385999.html Her research shows that while tequila’s surge in popularity over the past 15 years has been a boon for industry, it is triggering a significant hangover of social and environmental problems in the region of Mexico where the once-notorious liquor is produced.
Martha Crowley’s collaborative research (to appear in Work and Occupations) was noted in Newswise, News Guide, and News-Medical, on Nov. 12, 2008. Their findings show that women are not more likely to be sexually harassed when they are the minority or majority in a work group, but when their work group has a similar proportion of males and females.
Andrew Jorgenson presents at Duke University’s Seminar on Global Governance and Democracy
Andrew Jorgenson presented his research on “Societies Consuming Nature: A Panel Study of the Ecological Footprints of Nations, 1960-2003,” at the Duke University Center for International Studies’ University Seminar on Global Governance and Democracy on Thursday, December 4, 2008.
Teaching Tool Helps Students Analyze Online Research Materials
Faculty and Staff present research at the American Society of Criminology meetings
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology at North Carolina State University was well represented at the Annual Meetings of the American Society of Criminology. Kristin Williams (M.A. 2007) was awarded third place in the Gene Carte Student Paper Competition, and the following faculty and graduate students presented their research:
Antonaccio, Olena, Charles R. Tittle, and Ekaterina Botchkovar. “The Correlates of Crime and Deviance: Additional Evidence.”
Bodkin, Mark and Terri Winnick. “Stigma, Secrecy, and Education: An Examination of First Time and Repeat Offenders.”
Botchkovar, Ekaterina, Charles R. Tittle, and Olena Antonaccio. “General Strain Theory: Objective and Subjective Strains, Conditioning Factors, and Cultural Sensitivity.”
Brauer, Jonathan R. “Measuring Reinforcements Residual: A Longitudinal Test of Social Learning Theory.”
Burns, Padraic. “Neighborhood Strain and Anger: A Model Linking Neighborhood Disadvantage to Anger through Fear of Victimization.”
Cornell, Rena and Stacy De Coster. “Gender and General Strain Theory: The Gendered Experience of Emotions Linking Stress to Delinquency.”
Engen, Rodney L. and Randy R. Gainey. “Modeling Guideline Departures And Sentencing Disparity: Differential Likelihood or Differential Effects?”
McCall, Patricia, Rodney L. Engen, and Paul Nieuwbeerta. “European City Homicide Rates: A Comparison of OLS Regression and Hierarchical Linear Modeling Techniques.”
Tichavsky, Lisa. “The Influence of Situational Factors and Domestic Assault Laws on Juvenile Arrests for Assault.”
Williams, Kristin. “Social Disorganization Theory: The Definition of Neighborhoods, (In)Determinacy, and External Crime.”
Zahn, Margaret. “Social Science Research at the National Institute of Justice.”
New Study Finds First Inhabitants of Caribbean Brought Their Heirlooms With Them
A new study led by North Carolina State University’s Dr. Scott Fitzpatrick is the first to show physical evidence that the people who colonized the Caribbean from South America brought with them heirloom drug paraphernalia that had been passed down from generation to generation as the colonists traveled through the islands.
The research team used a dating technique called luminescence to determine the age of several artifacts found on the Caribbean island of Carriacou, in the West Indies, and discovered that the items dated back to between roughly 400 and 100 B.C. These dates are well before Carriacou was colonized in approximately A.D. 400. Luminescence testing involves heating a substance and measuring the amount of light it gives off to determine how long ago it was last heated.
Heirlooms are portable objects that are inherited by family members and kept in circulation for generations, Fitzpatrick says, and are frequently part of important rituals. The objects tested for this study are ceramic inhaling bowls that were likely used for the ingestion of hallucinogenic substances. Fitzpatrick says the luminescence dates of the bowls, as well as analysis of the material from which the bowls were made, indicate that the artifacts “appear to have been transported to Carriacou when it was colonized - possibly hundreds of years after they were made.”
Fitzpatrick, an assistant professor of anthropology at NC State, says scholars have long thought that the people who settled the Caribbean islands likely brought heirlooms with them - but says the bowls “are the first physical evidence we’ve found to support that claim.”
The study, “Evidence for inter-island transport of heirlooms: luminescence dating and petrographic analysis of ceramic inhaling bowls from Carriacou, West Indies,” will be published in a forthcoming issue of Journal of Archaeological Science.
Media Contacts: Dr. Scott Fitzpatrick, 919/513-0284 or scott_fitzpatrick@ncsu.edu Matt Shipman, News Services, 919/515-6386 or matt_shipman@ncsu.edu
Doctors featured in Accolades
Drs. Allaire, Halberstadt, Hess, & Neupert featured in CHASS Alumni newsletter Accolades
Psychology Graduate Degree Candidates
Announcement: North Carolina State University candidates for graduate degrees in Psychology
Dr. Anne Schiller
Dr. Anne Schiller was an invited speaker at a March, 2008 conference on "Cities and Markets," held in Parma, Italy and organized by the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities.
Dr. Tim Wallace
Dr. Tim Wallace is completing his 1st year as Editor of the Society for Applied Anthropology Newsletter with the May 15, 2008 issue. See earlier issues at http://sfaa.net/newsletter/newsletter.html.
Dr. Troy Case
Dr. Troy Case was an invited speaker at the 2nd International Conference on Physical and Molecular Anthropology, held in Hualien, Taiwan in March 2008.
Dr. Jerry Jacka
Dr. Jerry Jacka was an invited speaker and discussant at a workshop on "The Anthropology of Small-Scale Gold Mining" held at VU University Amsterdam in March 2008.
Dr. Scott M. Fitzpatrick
Dr. Scott M. Fitzpatrick was invited to participate in a February 2008 workshop on "Sustainable Land Management in Atoll Island Countries" at the University of Tokyo in Japan and was featured in a recent episode of "Bone Detectives" on the Discovery Channel.
