MTSU Sociology

Text reads: The Great Sugar Showdown Award Winners - Best Homemade Dessert: Lisa Benzinger's Candy Trio - Most Symbolic: Suzi Richardson's Tijuana Mexican Cheesecake - Best Store-Bought Remix: Vaun Baltimore's Tofu Chocolate Mousse - Most Nostalgic: Vaun Baltimore's Mom's Big Chess Pie - Best Presentation: Lisa Benzinger's Candy Trio - People's Choice: Suzi Richardson's Tijuana Mexican Cheesecake - Sweetest Surprise: Lisa Benzinger's Candy Trio - Most Likely to Cause a Sugar Coma: Katie McCormack's Peanut Butter Fudge - Dessert That Should Be a Netflix Series: Lisa Benzinger's Candy Trio

🏅🎊 Congratulations to the winners of our inaugural Great Sugar Showdown! We hope this becomes an annual tradition. Thank you to everyone who participated and made the event such a success! 🥧🧁🍰🍮🍪

They shared how they apply their sociology skills to help communities and organizations, address complex social problems, and contribute to policymaking. We're grateful for their generosity!

Photo of Dr. Ugur Orak with program alumni Kasey Bowe, Jennifer Arzate, Presley Powers, and Hannah Newcomb.

Yesterday, four of our Sociology MA program alumni, Presley Powers, Hannah Newcomb, Kasey Bowe, and Jennifer Arzate, joined us for a panel moderated by current student Vaun Baltimore to discuss employment options outside academia!

The department is providing coffee, tea, sodas, ham, a small turkey, coleslaw, and mac and cheese. Attendees are welcome to bring their own dish to share, or to simply bring their appetites!

MTSU Socioloqy & Anthropoloqy Potluck JOIN US! Holiday Homecoming DEC. 3, 2025, 5-7:30 PM MTSU Foundation House 324 W. Thompson Lane Murfreesboro, TN 37129 Bring a dish to share as we celebrate our students & alumni.

We invite Sociology and Anthropology students, alumni, faculty, and staff to join us for our Holiday Homecoming potluck celebration on Wednesday, December 3, from 5:00 - 7:30 pm at the MTSU Foundation House! 🍗🍰🍊🥖🧈🥧🍽️🎊

Illustration of cakes with the text: The Great Sugar Showdown Baking Contest Liberal Arts Thursday Nov. 20th 11:00 am Todd Hall Near Room 342

Illustration of a cake Text reads: The Great Sugar Showdown All are welcome! Award Categories • Best Homemade Dessert: Crafted entirely from scratch • Most Symbolic: A dessert that tells a story (short paragraph welcome!) • Best Store-Bought Remix: Transform a store-bought item into something unforgettable • Most Nostalgic: A dessert that brings back cherished memories • Best Presentation: Visual appeal, creativity, and thematic flair • People's Choice: Voted on by attendees • Sweetest Surprise: Looks can be deceiving... but the taste wins! • Most Likely to Cause a Sugar Coma: Almost too sugary to eat • Dessert That Should Be a Netflix Series: Layered, dramatic, and delightfully over-the-top

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate in The Great Sugar Showdown baking contest on Wednesday, November 20th, in the glass room next to Todd 342! Whether you're entering a dessert or just coming to enjoy the sugar-fueled fun, we hope to see you there!

Photo of Vaun Baltimore with text: Congratulations to graduate student Vaun Baltimore for passing his thesis defense! His thesis is entitled "Algorithmic Curation and Adolescents' Media Consumption."

🎉 Congratulations to graduate student Vaun Baltimore for passing his thesis defense! His thesis is entitled "Algorithmic Curation and Adolescents' Media Consumption." 🎉

MT STUDENT SOCIOLOGISTS HOLIDAY CRAFT PARTY TAKE A BREAK AND JOIN US FOR SOME CRAFTS, AND LEARN ABOUT WINTER HOLIDAYS AROUND THE WORLD! NOVEMBER 14TH 1-2PM PECK HALL 300 WE WILL HAVE, FOOD, GAMES, BRACELET MAKING, AND COLORING! @MTSTUSOC Questions? Email Karen Deyarmon at kad6j@mtmail.mtsu.edu

You are invited to join the MT Student Sociologists for a Holiday Craft Party on November 14th at 1 pm in Peck Hall 300! Take a break and learn about winter holidays around the world! We will have food, games, bracelet making, and coloring. All students are welcome!

FEATURED FACULTY MENTOR DR. RACHEL DAVIS SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY RESEARCH INTERESTS: Gendered violence, sexual labor, and social media. RECENTLY FUNDED URECA PROJECTS: "Law Enforcement Perceptions on Sexual Assault and Sex Trafficking," Platinum, Summer 2024 "The Role and Effectiveness of Sex Education in Sexual Abuse Awareness and Prevention," Platinum, Summer 2025 WHAT IMPACT HAS THE URC HAD ON YOU? The URC has provided me with research funding, collaboration opportunities, and, most importantly, the opportunity to work closely with students. Watching students develop competence and confidence as they carry out research projects of their own design is one of the most fulfilling aspects of my job. As a new faculty member, these opportunities also helped me feel more connected to and supported by the campus community. I am profoundly grateful for the URC! Check out our expanded list of faculty mentor profiles here! MTSU.EDU/URC/MENTORS

Check out Sociology professor Dr. Rachel Davis in this month's newsletter from the Undergraduate Research Center at MTSU! You can read the rest of the newsletter here: www.canva.com/design/DAG1Z...

INTERNATIONAL SOCIOLOGY HONOR SOCIETY ALPHA KAPPA DELTA Purpose: Alpha Kappa Delta seeks to acknowledge and promote excellence in scholarship in the study of sociology, the research of social problems, and such other social and intellectual activities as will lead to improvement in the human condition. Foundation: Alpha Kappa Delta was founded at the University of Southern California in 1920 by Dr. Emory S. Bogardus and became a certified member of the Association of College Honor Societies in 1967, which demonstrates our commitment to excellence and our value as a credible, nationally recognized honor society. Membership Benefits: - Lifetime recognition for outstanding academic achievement - Free year to our journal, Sociological Inquiry - Student paper contests with cash prizes - Student travel money to present at regional sociology meetings - The U.S. government accepts membership as one of the requirements for entrance at the GS-7 level for numerous professional and technical occupations - Plus much more! Membership Requirements: Undergraduate Students: - Enrolled as a major or minor in a sociology program or a program sociological in nature - At least a junior - Rank in the top 35% of class (or 3.3 GPA) - Have at least a 3.0 in sociology classes at host institution - Have completed 4 regular sociology courses (12 credit hours) Graduate Students: - Officially admitted to graduate study in sociology - Completion of one half year of graduate study in sociology - Graduate GPA of a B or better - Shall maintain matriculation in sociology

Did you know MTSU has an active chapter of @alphakappadelta.bsky.social, the international sociology honors society affiliated with @asanews.bsky.social? If you wish to become a member this semester, please email our chapter representative, Dr. Rachel Davis, at Rachel.Davis@mtsu.edu by November 19!

Photo of Yuri Lim defending her thesis with the text: "Congratulations to graduate student Yuri Lim for passing her thesis defense! Her thesis is entitled “Political and Cultural Pride as Predictors of Attitudes Toward Immigrants in Korea.”"

🎉 Congratulations to graduate student Yuri Lim for passing her thesis defense! Her thesis is entitled “Political and Cultural Pride as Predictors of Attitudes Toward Immigrants in Korea.” 🎉

We love seeing our AKD members in action! 💙

Four @MTSUSociology students recently presented their research at the Mid-South Sociological Association conference with help from AKD student travel grants.

Way to represent your chapter and the discipline! 👏

#AlphaKappaDelta

THE WILLIAM BASS-HUGH BERRYMAN LEGENDS IN FORENSIC SCIENCE LECTURESHIP PRESENTS "Sifting through the Ashes: Recovery and Identification of Wildfire Victims: Lessons From Paradise and Maui." Wednesday, October 29, 6:30 p.m. MTSU Student Union Ballroom Forensic anthropologist Eric Bartelink calls search and recovery of fire victims one of the greatest challenges in forensic anthropology-especially after large wildfires. Bartelink, a professor of physical anthropology at California State University at Chico and team member of the Human Identification Laboratory there, has assisted in humanitarian recoveries and identifications around the world, such as mass grave excavations in Bosnia-Herzegovina for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia and in the World Trade Center victim identification effort in New York City. His expertise is frequently called upon to assist in the identification of victims from wildfires, including those that consumed Paradise, California, and Maui, Hawaii. Free and open to the public. No tickets are necessary. Sponsors: The Forensic Institute for Research and Education, Middle Tennessee Forensic Science Society, Political and Global Affairs, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, College of Liberal Arts, Office of the University Provost

Please join us on Wednesday, October 29th, at 6:30 p.m in the Student Union Ballroom for the William Bass-Hugh Berryman Legends in Forensic Science Lectureship! Forensic anthropologist Dr. Eric Bartelink will discuss the recovery and identification of wildfire victims.

Group photo

Student facilitating a workshop

Student presenting their research

Our students and faculty had a great time sharing their work at the Mid-South Sociological Association last week!

Text reads: SOCIOLOGY & ANTHROPOLOGY OCTOBER DATES WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 22 11Am - 1Pm THURSDAY OCTOBER 23 12Pm - 2Pm PECK HALL 109 (Archaeology Lab) NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED College of Liberal Arts EXPLORE/ENGAGE/ENRICH/EARN

Open advising for Sociology and Anthropology students is October 22 (11 am - 1 pm) and October 23 (12 pm - 2 pm) in Peck Hall 109 (the Archaeology Lab). During this time, students can stop by and meet with an advisor.

Text reads: MT STUDENT SOCIOLOGISTS Social Sciences Career Panel A PANEL DISCUSSION FEATURING SOCIOLOGY FACULTY AND A PRESENTATION FROM THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTER: TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS AND TO ASK QUESTIONS! GRADUATE SCHOOL CAREER DEVELOPMENT CONNECT WITH PROFESSORS Tuesday, Oct. 21 • 4:30-6PM ACB Room 102 Food and drinks will be provided! @MTSTUSOC Questions? Email Karen Deyarmon at kad6j@mtmail.mtsu.edu

Join MTSS on Tuesday 10/21, where we will host a panel of sociology faculty to discuss various opportunities for students and learn more about the Career Development Center! 📚✍️

🗓️ Tuesday, October 21st
🕰️ 4:30PM - 6PM
📍ACB Room 102
🥤Food and drinks provided!

✨Open to Everyone✨

See you there! 🫵

Text Reads: Spring 2026 Sociology 4725/5725 Environmental Sociology "We won't have a society if we destroy the environment." -- Margaret Mead Counts toward Social Justice Concentration and Minor Upper Division Credit Zero Textbook Cost For more information: Angela.Mertig@mtsu.edu

Text reads: Social Media & Society SOC 4150-5150 Learn about social media: the good, the bad, and the ugly! For more info: Rachel.Davis@mtsu.edu SPRING 2026

Text Reads: FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY & ANTHROPOLOGY Online Spring 2026 SOCIOLOGY 4450/5450 EMOTIONS IN SOCIETY: CONTEXT, STRUCTURE, AND IDENTITY WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE WHEN OUR FEELINGS INTERACT WITH SOCIETY? TOPICS INCLUDE: CAREWORK, EMOTIONAL LABOR, SELF PRESERVATION, AND WORK IN THE SOCIAL SERVICES. Upper division credit Mixed with Graduate Students Flipped Classroom Zero Textbook Cost Engage Course (pending) COURSE REDESIGNED AND TAUGHT BY DR. JORDAN SOLOMON JORDAN.SOLOMON@MTSU.EDU

As you create your Spring 2026 course schedules, consider taking one or more of these electives in Sociology! As a bonus, all of them have zero textbook cost! 🧑‍🏫📓✏️

Photos of Cassie Sistoso Student Spotlight Cassie Sistoso Master of Arts in Sociology Graduating 2026 Future Plans: Cassie plans to pursue a PhD in Sociology, focusing on research and teaching. Support from MTSU faculty and mentors like Fred Arroyo helped her see a future where writing, advocacy, and scholarship can coexist. She is committed to building a career rooted in inquiry, creativity, and community care. Academic Interests: Cassie studies gender, sexuality, neurodiversity, and domestic violence. She entered sociology through the Women's and Gender Studies certificate and found deeper purpose through research on maternal mortality. Her academic work is shaped by courses like Dr. Oldham’s Violence in the Family and by mentorship from women faculty. She also writes poetry through the Sewanee School of Letters, blending creative and scholarly expression. Fun Facts: Cassie is a musician with an EP titled COLLATERAL, released under the name “cassie joy.” She is an avid reader who aims to finish at least 75 books each year. Her two cats, Taro and Tuna, are her greatest companions. In her downtime, she enjoys playing video games and exploring creative worlds beyond academia.

We're shining the spotlight on Sociology Master's student Cassie Sistoso! 🔦🔍

Fun Fact: Cassie is a musician with an EP titled COLLATERAL, released under the name cassie joy! 🎶

Cassie studies gender, sexuality, neurodiversity, and domestic violence. 🎓👩🏫

MTSU Jobs | Middle Tennessee State University

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Middle Tennessee State University invites applicants for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position (#129030) in sociology at the rank of assistant or associate professor whose research and teaching focus is health, illness, and healthcare systems.

Photo of Dr. Wallace Faculty Spotlight Areas of Expertise: Research Methods Statistics Aging Family Medical Social Psychology Fun Facts: Dr. Wallace was a student pastor in the Methodist Church for 4 years. Dr. Wallace likes to travel, play pool, and trivia. Classes Taught: SOC 2010 Social Problems SOC 3050 Data Analysis SOC 4360 Medical Sociology SOC 6550 Seminar on Aging SOC 6620 Quantitative Research Methods SOC 6661 Program Evaluation Advice to Students: “You have to sell yourself and sociology when looking for jobs. You need to be able to articulate what about your sociology degree would make you a good employee. This often requires explaining what sociology is to prospective employers.”

We're shining the spotlight on Sociology Professor Dr. Brandon Wallace! 🔦🔍

Fun Fact: Dr. Wallace was a student pastor in the Methodist Church for 4 years. ⛪

His advice to students is, "You need to be able to articulate what about your sociology degree would make you a good employee." 🗨

Anthropologica for fall '25 Guest Speaker: Alisse Waterston "Writing to be read: Crafting and communicating knowledge as if the world depends upon it" October 9, 2025, 1-2:25 pm, COE 160 As students and academics, must we succumb to splitting ourselves between being a scholar and being a responsible global citizen or between the artistic and the scholarly in representing what we have come to learn? In this talk, I describe my experiments in multimodal anthropology with intimate ethnography and with the graphic novel designed to bring knowledge and understanding into the public conversation on critical issues. Identifying my own assumptions and the sense of urgency that has driven much of my work, I question the value of public scholarship amid terrible political, economic, and military violence. I wonder: Is it fantasy to think this work matters? What does it do for the world? Does that question even matter? What are we doing and why are we doing it?

Please join us for the Fall 2025 Anthropologica lecture on October 9 from 1:00 - 2:25 pm in the College of Education building room 160 to hear Dr. Alisse Waterston deliver a lecture entitled "Writing to be Read: Crafting and Communicating Knowledge as if the World Depends Upon It."

Photo of Dr. Rachel Davis Text reads: Research Spotlight Inside the Mind of a Digital Feminist Dr. Rachel Davis is reshaping how scholars understand intimacy, class, and digital life. From the hills of Tennessee to a secluded island, she is developing a book on hypergamy, a form of romantic partnership marked by economic inequality. Dr. Davis sat down with us to discuss matrix logics, media myths, and the feminist contradictions that shape online sexual labor. Q: What questions or problems are you currently exploring? I am currently writing a book for Bloomsbury Publishing about hypergamy, a strategic intimate partnership between a man of high socioeconomic status and a woman of lower socioeconomic status, on Tumblr and TikTok. Some feminists denounce hypergamy as exploitative, while others celebrate it as empowering. This tension raises the question: How do we define and identify women’s exploitation and empowerment, and how can a phenomenon be labeled as both at once? Q: What methods or theoretical approaches are central to your work? For my book project, I utilized digital ethnographic research methods informed by a combination of intersectionality theory, particularly Vivian May’s concept of matrix logics, and Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of class distinction. As part of my digital ethnography, I combined social media content analyses, in-depth qualitative interviews, and statistical analyses. Overall, I prefer mixed-methods approaches like this.

Q: What insights or challenges have shaped your recent projects? Studying social media involves constant challenges, as social media sites change features, algorithms, and data policies daily, often without disclosing them. This requires researchers to constantly change our data-gathering tactics and ethical considerations in response. It can be exhausting sometimes! But it keeps me on my toes. Q: What insights or challenges have shaped your recent projects? Studying social media involves constant challenges, as social media sites change features, algorithms, and data policies daily, often without disclosing them. This requires researchers to constantly change our data-gathering tactics and ethical considerations in response. It can be exhausting sometimes! But it keeps me on my toes. Q: What led you to this area of research? I became interested in the phenomenon of hypergamy in my undergraduate career, when I noticed that several feminists I followed on social media expressed an interest in having a sugar daddy, despite many other feminists denouncing sugar arrangements as exploitative and sexist. Q: How would you describe your research to someone outside of academia? I look at how social media shapes romantic relationships and the economic transactions that take place within them. More specifically, I study the similarities and differences between women who identify as sugar babies, high-value women, and spoiled girlfriends.

Q: What themes or arguments does your research address? My research suggests that some women are actively seeking economically unequal (hypergamous) relationships in lieu of egalitarian ones, potentially perpetuating gender inequality while simultaneously claiming feminist politics. On the other hand, hypergamy may be understood as a strategy for class mobility in an otherwise largely closed class system. In this context, hypergamous women have been harmed by legislative and corporate actions like FOSTA that restrict their freedom of speech, sexual autonomy, and sense of community, all in the name of feminism and social justice. By utilizing matrix logics, I hope to push our responses to these issues beyond binary concepts of victimization and exploitation so that we can better understand (and change) contemporary life. Q: How does your research engage with contemporary issues? My research engages with debates about sexual labor and criminal law. After the passage of Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) in 2018, social media platforms purged adult content, disproportionately affecting racial, gender, and sexual minorities. Ironically, this pushed the sex trade further underground, making it harder to identify and assist trafficking victims. My work aims to expose these contradictions and suggest more just policy approaches.

We're shining the spotlight on research by Sociology Assistant Professor Dr. Rachel Davis, who is reshaping how scholars understand intimacy, social class, and digital life! 🔍

She is developing a book on hypergamy, a form of romantic partnership marked by economic inequality. 💰⚖️

As a result, will need to know how to crosswalk your skills for employers. To do this, you need to do your homework, learn their language, and present yourself and your background in terms they will understand.”

Her advice to students: “Social scientists are increasingly in high demand because of the context we can provide to data and statistics. That being said, you will likely be applying to positions that aren't explicitly labeled as "sociologist" or "social scientist" ...

At EcoMetric, Presley evaluates utility energy-efficiency programs using social science research methods, including surveys, interviews, and market analysis, contributing to evidence-based improvements and policy decisions to promote equitable access to energy.

Presley was recently elected Chair-Elect of the Rural Sociological Society's Rural Policy Research Interest Group and presented her research at the society’s annual conference.

Photo of Presley Powers Text reads: Alumni Spotlight Current Job Title and Organization: Energy Analyst III at EcoMetric Consulting Presley Powers was recently elected Chair-Elect of the Rural Policy Research Interest Group within the Rural Sociological Society and presented her dissertation at the society’s annual conference. Her research explores public trust as an indicator for urban to rural migration, reflecting her commitment to understanding the social dynamics that shape communities. At EcoMetric, Presley evaluates utility energy-efficiency programs using social science research methods, including surveys, interviews, and market analysis. Her work focuses on customer experiences, trade partner engagement, and broader program impacts, contributing to evidence-based improvements and policy decisions. She also advances efforts to promote equitable access to energy. Influence of MTSU Sociology Education Presley describes her sociology education at Middle Tennessee State University as exceptional. Through rigorous coursework and thoughtful mentorship, she learned to think critically as a social scientist and developed a strong foundation in research methodology. Her studies also deepened her understanding of the cultural and social influences that shape decision making. One of her most memorable courses was Social Theory, where she especially appreciated reading The Women Founders. That text highlighted the contributions of women to sociological theory and expanded her perspective on the discipline’s intellectual history. This academic foundation has guided her professional development and continues to inform her work in applied research and policy.

We're shining the spotlight on Sociology Master's program alum Presley Powers, who graduated in 2021 and currently works as an Energy Analyst! 🔦🔍

Fun Fact: Vaun enjoys using games as teaching tools. He has used the board game Monopoly to illustrate concepts of inequality and is currently developing a custom Dungeons and Dragons adventure designed to highlight key sociological theories. 🎲

Photo of Vaun Baltimore Academic Interests: Vaun is focusing on the specializations of adolescence and youth sociology and digital sociology. His thesis examines algorithmic media curation across social media platforms, with attention to how platform personalization shapes adolescent content exposure. Through simulated user engagement and comparative analysis, his research explores how recommendation systems amplify certain narratives while marginalizing others. Future Plans: After earning his Master of Arts in Sociology, Vaun plans to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy degree with the goal of becoming a professor. He is currently preparing to teach Social Problems at Middle Tennessee State University in Spring 2026, where he will guide students in critically examining social structures, inequalities, and institutional dynamics through applied examples and interactive learning. He also intends to deepen his expertise in the sociology of music and the sociology of religion, exploring how cultural expression and belief systems shape identity, community, and social dynamics. Fun Fact: Vaun enjoys using games as teaching tools. He has used the board game Monopoly to illustrate concepts of inequality and is currently developing a custom Dungeons and Dragons adventure designed to highlight key sociological theories. QR code leading to his LinkedIn profile.

We're shining the spotlight on Sociology Master's student Vaun Baltimore! 🔍 His thesis examines algorithmic media curation across social media platforms, with attention to how platform personalization shapes adolescent content exposure. He plans to pursue a PhD in Sociology! 🎓

This session is a great opportunity to explore program requirements and opportunities, learn how our program can support your career goals, and ask questions about the admissions process.