Department of Sociology

Sociology Student Spotlight

Sociology Students Present Research at Regional Conferences

Sociology majors Peter Lista ('12) and Brianna Sepulveda ('12) recently presented their research at two regional sociology conferences.

Brianna Sepulveda presented "Feeding the Celiac Family: Medically-Restricted Diets & Gendered Feeding Work," coauthored with Dr. Denise Copelton, at the Eastern Sociological Society annual conference in New York City. She was also one of two Brockport students selected to give a poster presentation at the "Discovery" annual SUNY-wide undergraduate research showcase in Albany, NY on February 29, 2012.

Peter Lista presented two papers that analyzed how Community Development Loan Funds present accountability measures online at the annual New York State Sociological Association annual conference at Sienna College in October 2011 and at the Eastern Sociological Society meeting in New York City in February 2012. Both papers were co-authored with Dr. Eric Kaldor.

About the Department

Sociology is the scientific study of social behavior, ranging from individuals to interpersonal relationships to large-scale social change. Sociologists not only attempt to understand social behavior, but they also seek to change it through, for example, involvement in social policy, planning, or program evaluation.

The mission of the Department of Sociology is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of how our lives are shaped by a variety of social phenomena such as social institutions, groups, interpersonal relationships, and, in particular, inequality in modern society. We seek to build student success by combining an interdisciplinary and liberal arts context with concrete analytical skills in research methods, statistics, and critical thinking. Such skills equip our students for a variety of professional roles in business, non-profit, and governmental sectors. In short, our students learn how to study and explain social behavior as well as how to critically evaluate common assumptions about society.

Recent News

Sociology Faculty Presentations at the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting

In August three department faculty travelled to Denver, Colorado to participate in the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association. Professor Bridges was a panel member in a discussion of "The State of Masculinities Studies: Current Trends and Future Directions." Professor Boyd presented a research paper entitled, "Does Neighborhood Mobility Equal School Mobility? Assessing a Housing Mobility Program's Impact on Educational Experiences." Finally, Dr. Copelton presented her paper "The Complex Role of Stigma in the Diagnosis & Dietary Management of Celiac Disease."

Sociology Students Inducted into AKD

2012 AKD Inductees

The 2012 induction ceremony for Alpha Kappa Delta, the international sociological honor society, was held on March 30. AKD recognized junior or senior sociology majors ranked in the top third of their class based on GPA. Congratulations to 2012 inductees Juan Carlos Acosta, Elizabeth Deleon-Fox, Emily Geraci, Lisa Jones, Darren Kwiatkowski, Patrick Leavy, Michele Troup McGrath, Kaitlyn Spike, Molly Stanton, and William Strassner for a job well done.

Peter Lista named 2012 Department Scholar

Sociology Student Awards

Graduating senior Peter Lista was named the 2012 Department Scholar for outstanding academic achievement in sociology. Congratulations also to juniors Ashley McKay and Kaitlyn Spike, the recipients of the 2012 Sociology Scholarship.