Today we celebrate the incredible achievements of our PhD and Master’s graduates in Sociology. Your dedication to critical inquiry and rigorous research has shaped new understandings of the world and will continue to do so for years to come.
From required courses and late-night studies, to the exhausting and intense comprehensive exams, to writing your proposals and theses and dissertations – all that coupled with the uncertainty of COVID-19 pandemic and coping with life-altering circumstances - you’ve persevered with passion and purpose. Some of you came to the department in the middle of the most serious lockdowns, you started your coursework fully online, had to connect with faculty and other graduate students virtually rather than in person, but you still made connections, became committed members of the department and devoted researchers. We are so proud of everything you have accomplished and even more excited for what comes next.
A total of 7 Sociology PhD students will be hooded on Saturday, May 10th.
Among those, Dr. Eustache Zigashane’s work is focused on sociology of conflict and development, specifically in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We are truly excited for Dr. Zigashane’s work impact in understanding and resolving conflict.
Dr. Jess Garcia is interested in the effect of dating violence on academic achievement and how school connectedness helps to mitigate that relationship. Dr. Garcia will continue as Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Dallas.
Dr. Megumi Sakamoto’s work is focused on population health outcomes, especially looking at how emergency medical services profit status influences population health outcomes. Dr. Sakamoto is a Senior Research Associate at Public Policy and Research Institute at Texas A&M University.
Dr. Gemini Creason-Parker’s dissertation uses mixed methods to analyze rape myths on Law and Order: Special Victim’s Unit. After graduation, Dr. Creason-Parker will start a Visiting Assistant Professor position at State University of New York Potsdam at the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice.
Dr. Luna Chandna’s work focuses on ethnoracial identification from childhood to adulthood for children with one Asian Indian parent. Her work is expanding our understanding how second-generation immigrant youth feel about themselves and their families and their place in the society.
In addition, three students are graduating with Master’s degrees in Sociology. Among those, Stephanie Smith’s research expands our understanding of the probation officer’s work. Her thesis focuses on how identity influences Black women probation officer’s supervision style. Bryson Bassett's thesis explores the dynamics behind state-level environmental policy, with a focus on the Texas Railroad Commission (TRRC), an agency with extensive authority over the oil, gas, and mining industries. Bryson's research addresses two questions: How has the authority of the TRRC evolved over time, and what impacts have these shifts had on Texas’s environmental quality?
Congratulations to all of our new PhD’s and Master degree holders! Your hard work, critical insight, and commitment to understanding—and changing—the world have brought you to this moment. We can't wait to see the impact you’ll make next.