Sociology Faculty
Department chair: Erin Davis | Contact info
Faculty
Erin Davis
H.H. Freer Professor of Sociology
McLennan College Hall 209Explores cultural diversity and social inequalities, focusing on gender, sexualities, bodies, and identities in her courses and her research. She also works closely with students on their research, sponsoring student presentations at the Iowa Sociological Association and Midwest Sociological Society meetings. Her research has examined transgender identification and the social regulation of gender, as well as women’s experiences in male-dominated leisure activities. Ph.D., sociology, University of Virginia.
Tori Barnes-Brus
Professor of Sociology
McLennan College Hall 211Teaches courses on inequality, deviance and social control, reproduction, media, and research methods. Her courses demonstrate a dedication to social justice, and many involve field trips or incorporate public sociology projects. She has sponsored numerous student research projects at the Iowa Sociological Association and the Midwest Sociological Society meetings. Her own research investigates the cultural construction and commercialization of womanhood and cultural debates surrounding women’s reproductive control. Ph.D., sociology, University of Kansas
Mary B. Olson
Professor of Sociology
McLennan College Hall 120Teaches courses in sociology that address social inequality and social change, including American Indians: Culture, Activism, and Social Justice; Race and Ethnic Relations; The African American Civil Rights Movement Through Film; and Religion, Spirituality, and Community. Her research with native tribes focuses on fishing rights in the Pacific Northwest. Ph.D., sociology, University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Noah Johnson
Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology
McLennan College Hall 206Teaches courses on anthropological methods and approaches to studying changing societies, environmental issues, linguistic practices, multicultural understandings of wellness and illness, and the embodied nature of practice. His classes focus on the application of knowledge in practical situations and often contain projects, hands-on exercises, and field trips--in addition to more conventional modalities of learning. Noah's own research explores cultural globalization and cultural adaptation in contemporary societies by studying with karate practitioners throughout the USA and in Okinawa, Japan; and with "maker" communities in the USA, involved in the design and creation of objects through 3D printing. Ph.D., Sociocultural Anthropology, University of Iowa.
John Doershuk
Lecturer, Iowa State Archaeologist
Teaches archaeology courses and has supervised numerous Cornell internships and student projects on seven different Iowa field sites. Ph.D., anthropology, Northwestern University.
Emeriti
Christopher Dean Carlson
Professor of Sociology Emeritus. B.A., University of California at Davis; M.A., University of Illinois at Chicago; Ph.D., University of Oregon
Richard Peterson
Professor of Sociology Emeritus. A.A., Austin State Junior College; B.A., Mankato State College; M.A. and Ph.D., University of Iowa
Charlotte A. Vaughan
Professor of Sociology Emerita. B.A., Northwestern University; M.S.T., Illinois Institute of Technology; Ph.D., University of Chicago
Alfrieta Monagan
Professor Emerita of Anthropology, Ph.D., Princeton University