People
Alumni/ae
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Ph.D. Recipients and their Current Positions
- Jamilah Christiansen, Ph.D., 2025, Dissertation: "Corruption and Foreign Influence: A Cross-National Analysis of Environmental Violence," Visiting Assistant Professor Lehigh ܽƵapp
- Shumaila Fatima, Ph.D., 2025, Dissertation: "Beyond Political Democracy and Plebiscitary Citizenship: Accounting for New Modes of Participation and Citizenry in Saudi Arabi"
- Georgi Georgiev, Ph.D., 2024, Dissertation: "From Corruption and State Capture to a Populist Backlash: The Challenges for Democracy in Eastern Europe," Instructor, Suffolk ܽƵapp.
- Ashley Green, Ph.D., 2023, Dissertation: "'I Don't Know Where the Lesbians Are': Exploring LGBTQ+ Women’s Experiences of Place and Community," Assistant Professor of Sociology, Central Connecticut State ܽƵapp.
- Melanie Escue, Ph.D., 2023, Dissertation: "'You Don’t Seek Help, You are Just Thankful for the Things the Country Provides for You': The Emotional Burden of Growing up Undocumented in the United States," Assistant Professor, The ܽƵapp of North Carolina at Pembroke.
- Kristopher Oliveira, Ph.D., 2022, Dissertation: "Revisiting ‘Our’ Place on Campus: A Queer(ed) and In-Depth Interview Study of QT Resource Professionals in Higher Education," Office of Diversity & Inclusion, LGBTQ+ Equity Center - Director, ܽƵapp of Maryland, College Park.
- Melinda Maconi, Ph.D., 2022, Dissertation: "A Tale of Two Art Programs:Art & Identity for People with Disabilities," Research Specialist II, Moffitt Cancer Center.
- Rebecca Blackwell, Ph.D., 2021, Dissertation: "The Debate on Physician-Assisted Death in the United States: A Narrative Analysis of Formula Stories," PRISM Core Researcher, Moffitt Cancer Center and Adjunct Instructor at USF.
- Edlin Veras, Ph.D., 2021, Dissertation: "They Say We’re Expendable: Race, Nation, and Citizenship in the Dominican Republic," Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology, Swarthmore College.
- Fangheyue Ma, Ph.D., 2021, Dissertation: "Presenting Selves and Interpreting Culture: An Ethnography of Chinese International Tourism in the United States," Instructor, Department of Social Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast ܽƵapp.
- Carley Geiss, Ph.D., 2021, Dissertation: "Narrative Meaning Productions of Compassionate Healthcare: An Examination of Cultural Codes, Organizational Practices, and Everyday Realities," Core Staff Scientist, Participant Research, Interventions, and Measurement, Moffitt Cancer Center, and Adjunct Instructor at USF.
- Silpa Satheesh, Ph.D., 2020, Dissertation: "Red-Green Rows: Exploring the
Conflict between Labor and Environmental Movements in Kerala, India," Assistant Professor, Mahatma Gandhi ܽƵapp, Kerala, India. - Juan Arroyo Flores, Ph.D., 2020, Dissertation: "Online-Offline Social Ties in Massive Multiplayer Online Games," Senior Scientist I, Fors Marsh.
- Douglas Engelman, Ph.D. , 2020, Dissertation: "Family Response to a Diagnosis of Serious Mental Illness in Teens and Young Adults: A Multi-Voiced Narrative Analysis," Lecturer, ܽƵapp of North Carolina, Wilmington.
- Rodrigo Serrão Santana de Jesus, Ph.D., 2020, Dissertation: "Winning “Americans” for Jesus?: Second-Generation, Racial Ideology, and the Future of the Brazilian Evangelical Church in the U.S.," Assistant Professor, Hope College.
- Jasmón Bailey, Ph.D., 2019, Dissertation, "Palatable Shades of Gender: Status Processes at the Intersections of Race," Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow at ܽƵapp of Maryland, College Park.
- Patrick Casey, Ph.D., 2019, Dissertation: "American Converts to Islam: Identity, Racialization, and Authenticity," Assistant Professor, ܽƵapp of Central Arkansas.
- Hadi Khoshneviss, Ph.D., 2019, Dissertation: "Geopolitics of Race and Contours of Whiteness: The Experience of Immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa in the United States," Assistant Professor, Rhodes College.
- Erik Withers, Ph.D., 2019, Dissertation: "Selling Whiteness: An Intersectional Analysis of Cultural Intermediaries in the Craft Beverage Industry," Assistant Professor, ܽƵapp of Wisconsin, River Falls.
- S. Katherine Cooper, Ph.D., 2018, Dissertation: "Breaking the Crass Ceiling? Exploring Narratives, Performances, and Audience Reception of Women's Stand-Up Comedy," Associate Teaching Professor, ܽƵapp of Tampa.
- Justine Egner, Ph.D., 2018, Dissertation: "An Intersectional Examination of Disability and LGBTQ+ Identities In Virtual Spaces," Director of Launch - Research and Product Development, Edge Launch.
- Melissa Welch, Ph.D., 2018, Dissertation: "Decreased Visibility: A Narrative Analysis of Episodic Disability and Contested Illness," Social Caseworker II, Larimer County, Colorado.
- Pangri Mehta, Ph.D., 2017, Dissertation: "‘Steps to Our Culture’: Indian Families and Constructing a Sense of Home and Belonging."
- Fae Chubin, Ph.D., 2017, Dissertation: "Becoming Proper: An Institutional Ethnography of Subaltern Empowerment and Innominate Identity Politics in Iran," Assistant Teaching Professor, ܽƵapp of Tampa.
- Jennifer Earles, Ph.D., 2017, Dissertation: "An Intersectional Examination of Disability and LGBTQ+ Identities In Virtual Spaces."
- M.C. Whitlock, Ph.D., 2017, Dissertation: "Examining Forty Years of the Social Organization of Feminisms: Ethnography of Two Women’s Bookstores in the US South," Assistant Professor, ܽƵapp of North Georgia-Dahlonega.
- David Zeller, Ph.D., 2017, Dissertation: "'There is No Planet B': Frame Disputes within the Environmental Movement over Geoengineering," Assistant Teaching Professor, ܽƵapp of Tampa.
- Maggie Cobb, Ph.D., 2016, Dissertation: "Songwriting as Inquiry and Action: Emotion, Narrative Identity, and Authenticity in Folk Music Culture."
- Damien Contessa, Ph.D., 2016, Dissertation: "Unraveling the Wild: A Cultural Logic of Animal Stories in Contemporary Social Life," Assistant Teaching Professor, ܽƵapp of Tampa.
- Elaina Behounek, Ph.D., 2015, Dissertation: "Mediated Relationships: An Ethnography of Family Law Mediation," Associate Professor, Middle Georgia State ܽƵapp.
- Brenda Mason, Ph.D., 2015, Dissertation: "Beauty is Precious, Knowledge is Power, and Innovation is Progress: Widely Held Beliefs in Policy Narratives about Oil Spills."
- Loren Wilbers, Ph.D., 2015, Dissertation: "The Experience of Chronic Pain Management: A Multi-Voiced Narrative Analysis," Associate Professor & Department Chair, Department of Sociology, Criminology & Anthropology, ܽƵapp of Wisconsin, Whitewater.
- Hilary Dotson, Ph.D., 2014, Dissertation: "More to Love: Obesity Histories and Romantic Relationships in the Transition to Adulthood," Deputy Director - Military Analytics, Fors Marsh.
Some Recent M.A. Recipients and their Current Positions*
- Bobbie Straughter, M.A., 2024, Graduate Employment Specialist, Concorde Career Colleges
- Elise Kuechle, M.A., 2024, Clinical Research Coordinator, Stanford ܽƵapp, School of Medicine
- Tomas Sanjuan, M.A., 2023, Current Doctoral Student at Florida State ܽƵapp*
- Didier Salgado, M.A., 2023, Data Specialist, ܽƵapp Area CDC
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Dominique Rivera, M.A., 2022, Tampa Bay Regional Organizer, Families for Strong Public Schools
- Cassidy Boe, M.A., 2022, Current Doctoral Student at The ܽƵapp of New Mexico*
- Jenna Bateman, M.A., 2021, Current Doctoral Student at ܽƵapp of Central Florida*
- Julia Jester, M.A., 2021, Housing Case Manager, Mid-Shore Pro Bono
- Angelica Loblack, M.A., 2020, Current Doctoral Student at ܽƵapp of Maryland*
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Katie Hilderbrand, M.A., 2020, Development Manager, Prevent Blindness Georgia
- Kathryn DelGenio, M.A., 2019, Current Doctoral Student at Rutgers ܽƵapp*
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Shelby Statham, M.A., 2018, Prevention Policy Specialist, Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence
- Olivia Fleming, M.A., 2018, Assistant Professor, Transylvania ܽƵapp
- Kellie Petersen, M.A., 2018, Current Doctoral Student at ܽƵapp of California, Santa Cruz*
- Ana Balius, M.A., 2018, Program Administrator, Frameworks of Tampa Bay
- Manuel Ramirez, M.A., 2017, Current Doctoral Student at ܽƵapp of Connecticut*
- Diamond Briggs, M.A, 2017, Enrollment Representative, Bisk
- Joy Fuller, M.A., 2017, Payroll Coordinator, Edgewater Federal Solutions
- Olivia Johnson, M.A., 2017, Visiting Assistant Professor at Emory ܽƵapp
- Morgan Sanchez, M.A., 2013, Assistant Professor, San José State ܽƵapp
- Natalie M. Delia, M.A., 2011, Associate Professor, ܽƵapp of Windsor
- Herrica Telus, M.A., 2011, Analyst, US Government Accountability Office
- Anastacia Schulhoff, M.A. 2010, Assistant Professor, Appalachian State ܽƵapp
- Marc Settembrino, M.A., 2010, Associate Professor, Southeastern Louisiana ܽƵapp
- Jarin Eisenberg, M.A., 2009, Chief Operating Officer of Groundswell Startups & The Deffebach Community Development Initiative in Melbourne, FL
- Alexander A. Hernandez, M.A., 2009, Instructional Associate Professor, Texas A&M ܽƵapp
- Sharla Alegria, M.A., 2007, Assistant Professor, ܽƵapp of Toronto
- Christina Partin, M.A., 2006, Professor of Instruction, ܽƵapp
- Ilir Disha, M.A., 2005, Assistant Professor, Borough of Manhattan Community College
- William Force, M.A., 2005, Assistant Professor, California State ܽƵapp, Fresno
- Lonnie Griffin III, M.A., 2004, Campus Dean of the Liberty Campus of Savannah Technical College
- Neil Quisenberry, M.A.,1992, Professor & Chair of the Division of Social Science at McKendree ܽƵapp
*Many others are completing doctoral programs at prestigious universities
Alumni/ae News
BA
Leonard Kania (BA, 1969) |
Recently retired from Sonoma State ܽƵapp and lives with his wife of 40 years in Sonoma, California. |
George Self (BA in Sociology from USF, 1969; PhD in Economic Development & Community Organization from Cornell ܽƵapp) |
A Health Economist, recently retired as Director of the New Jersey Medicaid Managed Care Program and currently lives in Tampa. |
Roberto Potter (BA, 1975) |
Potter is Professor and Director of Research in the Department of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies at the ܽƵapp of Central Florida. In 2014, Dr. Potter received the Peter P. Lejins Research Award from the American Correctional Association, the highest honor bestowed on a corrections researcher by the national association. |
Jolie Daigle (Ziomek) (BA, 1995) |
Professor of Counseling and Human Development at the ܽƵapp of Georgia, recently provided this testimonial: "The Sociology major provided me such a solid foundation in examining the impact of "society" or communities on children's well-being including their mental health. The degree also introduced me to qualitative research. That led me to the field of counseling and, more specifically, school counseling and my degrees in School Counseling (M.S.) and Counselor Education (PhD). I became a faculty member at the ܽƵapp of Georgia in 2005, teach in both the M.Ed and PhD counseling programs, coordinate the M.Ed.program, and serve as Co-PI on two HRSA-funded Behavior Health Training grants." |
Byron A. Miller (BA, 2002; MAT in Secondary Social Science Education from USF; Ph.D. in Sociology from ܽƵapp of Florida) |
Miller is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the ܽƵapp - St. Petersburg. His research examines how psychosocial factors like mastery, discrimination, and social support impact health disparities. |
Natalie Rosado (BA, 2005, with honors) |
Rosado is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who specializes in providing support to teens, adults, couples, and families in the Tampa Bay area. |
Whitney McGinniss (BA, 2007) |
McGinniss manages HUD and DOJ funded supportive housing grants for domestic violence survivors in the Greater Atlanta area. |
Aloknath Pandya (BA, 2007, with honors) |
Dr. Pandya is an Internal Medicine specialist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who recently appeared in the U.S. News and World Report's listing of "best doctors." After graduating from USF, Dr. Pandya received his medical degree from Florida State ܽƵapp's College of Medicine in 2012. |
Cris Chandler (BA, 2008) |
Chandler was recently named a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Public Health at Emory ܽƵapp in Atlanta, Georgia. |
Robyn Sagal (BA, 2012) |
Sagal, who graduated Magna Cum Laude from USF's Honors College with a BA in Sociology and a minor in Public Health, received a Fulbright Student Partnership Award for the ܽƵapp of Shffield (UK), where she also received her Master's degree in International Development and Public Health. She currently works as a specialist in Global Health at the Association of Public Health Laboratories in Washington, D.C. |
Kat Poblete (BA, 2013) |
Poblete, winner of the 2012-2013 Outstanding Senior in Sociology Award from USF's Department of Sociology, who has had a longtime interest in sustainable agriculture, is Farm Manager of the ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture Program, which was developed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). |
Isabel Sousa-Rodriguez (BA, 2014) |
Sousa-Rodriguez, winner of the 2014-2015 Outstanding Senior in Sociology Award from USF's Department of Sociology, recently started a position as Program Officer for the Edward W. Hazen Foundation, a philanthropy company based in New York City, while she completes her PhD in Sociology at The Graduate Center, City ܽƵapp of New York. |
Tia Dixon (BA, 2015) |
Executive Director and founder of the agency "Posimoto -Changing Faces," recently made a very generous donation to the Department of Sociology to establish the "Dixon-Posimoto Scholarship" which will be awarded annually to an undergraduate ܽƵapp who would like to complete an internship with a non-profit community agency in the Tampa Bay region. |
Lauren Dunayer (BA, 2015) |
Dunayer, winner of the 2015-2016 Outstanding Senior in Sociology Award from USF's Department of Sociology, has been working for the Pasco County Sheriff's Office as a Family Support Worker in Child Protection Investigations. She states: "I utilize the resources, skills, and knowledge that I learned in my time at USF/Sociology Department on an every day basis." |
Ricky Scheiber-Camoretti, PMP (BA, 2016) |
Scheiber-Camoretti, winner of the 2016-2017 Outstanding Senior in Sociology Award from USF's Department of Sociology, was recently promoted to Assistant Vice President of the ICG O&T Chief Operating Office-Management Team of Citi. |
Flandra Ismajli (BA, 2018) |
Ismajli, winner of the 2017-2018 Outstanding Senior in Sociology Award from USF's Department of Sociology, is working as a Research Support Specialist in the Department of Child and Family Studies at the ܽƵapp. |
Aaron Young (BA, 2018) |
Young, winner of the 2017-2018 Outstanding Senior in Sociology Award from USF's Department of Sociology, is pursuing his Master's in Urban and Regional Planning at USF while serving as a Fellow of the Hillsborough County City County Planning Commission. |
Grace Hussain (BA, 2019) |
Hussain went to study for her Master of Science in Animals & Public Policy at Tufts ܽƵapp in 2020. |
MA
William Mangold (BA, 1968; MA, 1969; PhD in Demographic Studies from Duke ܽƵapp) | Mangold retired from his position as Professor of Sociology at the ܽƵapp of Arkansas, where he served as the founding director of its Center for Social Research. During his tenure at ܽƵapp of Arkansas, Dr. Mangold authored or co-authored over 100 research articles and monographs, supervised dozens of funded research projects, and served as then Governor Bill Clinton's advisor on health policy for the State of Arkansas. He and his wife LuAnn, a Professor of Accounting at Florida Tech in Melbourne, Florida, now live in Sebastian, Florida. |
Pat Curtin (MA, 1974) |
Curtin recently received a Professor Emeritus designation in recognition of his life-time commitment to teaching Sociology and Marriage and Family at St. Petersburg College. |
Michael Flaherty (MA, 1977) |
Professor of Sociology at Eckerd College on Florida's Gulf Coast, recently served as Visiting Professor of Sociology at the ܽƵapp of Bucharest, Romania. |
Carol Rambo (MA, 1987) |
Associate Professor of Sociology at the ܽƵapp of Memphis, recently won the Distinguished Teaching Award at her university. |
Tom Warren (MA, 1992) |
Pastor of Peace United Church of Christ in Greensboro, NC, recently led members of his congregations and other UCC congregations on their annual, two-week-long UCC Cuba Study Seminar, which included traveling across Cuba by bus visiting the major cities of Havana, Varadaro, Santa Clara, Camaguey, and Santiago. |
Jarin Eisenberg (BA, 2007; MA 2009) |
Eisenberg currently works as the Chief Operating Officer of Groundswell Startups & The Deffebach Community Development Initiative in Melbourne, FL, where she is directing efforts to address chronic homelessness in Downtown Melbourne in partnership with the ‘Street to Home Movement’. |
Marc Settembrino (BA, 2008; MA 2010) |
Settembrino was recently promoted to Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Southeastern Louisiana ܽƵapp. |
Morgan Sanchez (MA, 2013) |
Sanchez published a book chapter "Sick and Tired: Narratives of Contested Illness in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Blogs." 2020. Pp 245-260 in Sara Green and Donileen Loseke (eds.) New Narratives of Disability: Constructions, Clashes, and Constructions. Volume 11 in the peer reviewed book series Research in Social Sciences and Disability. Bingley (UK): Emerald Publishing. |
Maria D. Duenas (MA, 2015) |
Ph.D. candidate at the ܽƵapp of California-Merced, won first place for Alpha Kappa Delta's 2020 Graduate Student Paper Competition for her second year paper titled, "Three Discursive Messages: Racial and Ethnic Socialization in Middle-Class Latinx Families". This paper also won UC Merced Sociology's 2020 Graduate Student Research Award. |
Manuel (Manny) Ramirez (MA, 2017) |
Doctoral ܽƵapp in Sociology at the ܽƵapp of Connecticut, received honorable mention in the 2019 Graduate Paper Competition of the SSSP's Racial and Ethnic Minority Division for his work "'You Know, We're Just Having a Good Time': Masking Racism and Foregrounding Fun in Cosplay." |
Matthew Ahlfs (MA, 2018) |
Ahlfs began his doctoral studies at George Mason ܽƵapp in 2020. Army Lt. Ahlfs was deployed overseas for 9 months after completing his M.A. at USF. |
PhD
Loren Wilbers (PhD 2015) |
Dr. Wilbers was tenured and promoted to Associate Professor at the ܽƵapp of Wisconsin, Whitewater in 2021. She was also appointed Chair of the Department of Sociology, Criminology and Anthropology. Also, with co-author Ron Berger, has published the second edition of Introducing Disability Studies with Lynne Rienner (2021). She published a book chapter "Institutional and Personal narratives of Chronic Pain Management: Interrogating the Medical and Social Models of Disability." 2020. Pp. 151-167 in Sara Green and Donileen Loseke (eds.) New Narratives of Disability: Constructions, Clashes, and Constructions. Volume 11 in the peer reviewed book series Research in Social Sciences and Disability. Bingley (UK): Emerald Publishing. In 2020, she was elected to be the 2020-2022 Division Co-Chair of the Disability Division of the Society for the Study of Social Problems. |
Justine Egner (PhD, 2018) |
Dr. Egner published a book chapter "'We Love Each Other into Meaning': Queer Disabled Tumblr Users Constructing Identity Narratives through Live and Anger." 2020. Pp 261-276 in Sara Green and Donileen Loseke (eds.) New Narratives of Disability: Constructions, Clashes, and Constructions. Volume 11 in the peer reviewed book series Research in Social Sciences and Disability. Bingley (UK): Emerald Publishing. In 2020, Dr. Egner was elected to serve as the Membership Chair of the Disability and Society Section of the American Sociological Association. |
Melissa Welch (PhD, 2018) | Dr. Welch published a book chapter, "Narrative Productions of Problems and People in the Americans with Disabilities Amendment Act." 2020. Pp 139-149 in Sara Green and Donileen Loseke (eds.) New Narratives of Disability: Constructions, Clashes, and Constructions. Volume 11 in the peer reviewed book series Research in Social Sciences and Disability. Bingley (UK): Emerald Publishing. |
Hadi Khoshneviss (PhD, 2019) |
Dr. Khoshneviss recently authored an article "A home to which I do not belong: geopolitics, colonialism, and whiteness in the experience of Middle Eastern and North African citizens in the United States," which was published in Postcolonial Studies (December, 2019). |
Silpa Satheesh (PhD, 2020) |
Dr. Satheesh had her essay covering the recent protest in Eloor (India) published in Interface Blog, along with several other social movement luminaries including Donatella della Porta, Jackie Smith, John Foran, and Kohn Krinsky among others. |
Rodrigo Serrao (PhD, 2020) |
Assistant ܽƵapp of sociology at Hope College, Holland, Michigan, published an editorial "How Seminaries Could Heal Racism Except for This Roadblock," in Good Faith Media (July, 2020). In August, 2020, he also published (with co-author João Chaves) an article "Immigrant Evangelicalism in the COVID-19 Crisis: Reactions and Responses from Brazilian Evangelical Churches in Florida" in the International Journal of Latin American Religions. |
- Joe Zuniga, a nationally recognized singer and author, returned to campus in April, 2017, for a book signing of his book Debra Lafave- A Crown of Beauty for Ashes, which is a story about second chances. His newest song titled “Familias Unidas” (United Families) can be watched on Youtube.