The Department of Sociology consists of 13 faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences as well as 8 faculty members with appointments in the College of Agriculture’s Department of Community and Leadership Development. Our faculty are engaged in a broad range of research topics with specializations in social inequalities, gender studies, political sociology, social movements, development studies, rural sociology, criminology, substance use and abuse, work and organizations, religion, Appalachian studies, education, health, children and youth, and family.

Our faculty are drawn from the finest sociology graduate programs in the nation.  Many conduct research in Latin America, Europe, and Asia. The Sociology faculty have strong ties to interdisciplinary programs on campus such as Gender and Women's Studies, International Studies, the Sustainable Agriculture program, Appalachian Studies, the Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, the Center for Research on Violence Against Women, and Asian Studies. The diversity of our faculty and research program is reflected in a broad set of curricular offerings at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. These pages can provide more detailed information on each of our faculty members.