generated: 2025-09-11 05:10:38





Program at a Glance


Wednesday October 15, 2025
3:30 PM - 4:45 PM
Workshop: Toolkit for Supporting Immigrant College Students in the U.S.
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Bringing Civil Debates & Deliberative Dialogues in the Classroom
Workshop
Thursday October 16, 2025
8:00 AM - 9:15 AM
Work/Life Balance: I Don't Have It!
Workshop
9:30 AM - 10:45 AM
Centering Love in a Disaster Framework
Criminology and Crime
Teaching across the Sociological Spectrum
11:00 AM - 12:15 PM
Panel: Lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina: Economic inequality, vulnerability, public policy, and evacuation
Workshop
Sociological Theory - Thursday
Gender Research into Practice with a focus on Advocacy and Activism
Medical Sociology and Mental Health
Publishing in Academic Journals: Tips & Tricks to Avoid a Desk Reject
2:00 PM - 3:15 PM
Book Proposal Preparation Workshop
Workshop
Environment, Climate Change, and Future Directions
Migration and Displacement
3:30 PM - 4:45 PM
Religion, Politics, and Social Movements
Regular Paper Session
The Threads of Society: A Sociological Dungeons & Dragons Workshop
Workshop
Friday October 17, 2025
8:00 AM - 9:15 AM
I'm Hiring/I'm on the Job Market: Candidate Meets Search Chair
Workshop
9:30 AM - 10:45 AM
Education As Empowerment
Regular Paper Session
Presidential Thematic Session: First Responder Frameworks of Disaster Knowledge
Thematic Session: Indigenous Frameworks of Disaster Knowledge
Criminology and Crime II
Getting Published: Acquisitions Editor Meet and Greet
Navigating the Academic and Applied Job Market
11:00 AM - 12:15 PM
How to Navigate Academia Through These Troubling Times
Workshop
Workshop: American Incarceration: A Social Disaster’s Devastating Impact on Families, Communities, and the Need for Reform
Workshop
MSSA Community Poster Session
Culture and Gender
Graduate Research
2:00 PM - 3:15 PM
Generative AI: Teaching and Scholarship
Workshop
Undergraduate Research
Saturday October 18, 2025






MSSA Program

1. Workshop: Toolkit for Supporting Immigrant College Students in the U.S.
Wednesday | 3:30 pm-4:45 pm | 1906
  • Toolkit for Supporting Immigrant College Students in the U.S. Melanie Anne Escue , University of North Carolina at Pembroke
    This interactive workshop offers participants a space to learn and grow their knowledge of immigration laws and policies that impact college students in the United States. Drawing from my own professional, research, and advocacy work on immigration issues, particularly supporting college students who are undocumented and temporary status holders, I offer strategies for allyship and a scholarship toolkit to support students unable to access federal and, in some cases, state-based aid. Moreover, audience members will be invited to engage in "fact vs. fiction" trivia to enrich their understanding of this complex and critical topic facing differently documented students in higher education today. Participants will be provided with a scholarship guidebook to share with their own universities, colleagues, and students.
2. Bringing Civil Debates & Deliberative Dialogues in the Classroom [Workshop]
Wednesday | 5:00 pm-6:30 pm | 1906

Organizer: Melanie Anne Escue , University of North Carolina at Pembroke
3. Work/Life Balance: I Don't Have It! [Workshop]
Thursday | 8:00 am-9:15 am | 1906
4. Centering Love in a Disaster Framework
Thursday | 9:30 am-10:45 am | 1906
  • Devastation and Recovery: Hurricane Helene and the Appalachian Trail James Ainsworth, GSU
    In late September of 2024 Hurricane Helene devastated several states in the American Southeast, but few were impacted more than the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Helene’s heavy rainfall, enhanced by the mountainous terrain of this region resulted in catastrophic flooding. This paper examines the localized impact of this massive storm on the Appalachian Trail in and around the town of Erwin, Tennessee. Prior to the storm, the Appalachian Trail crossed over the Nolichuchy river via a bridge right next to a hiker hostel named Uncle Johnny’s Nolichucky Hostel. This bridge and the main building of Uncle Johnny’s hostel were destroyed by Helene’s massive flooding. While the bridge no longer exist, the hostel has been rebuilt better than before. As part of a larger project on backpacking culture, in the spring of 2024, I had interviewed over two dozen long-distance backpackers, shuttle drivers and hostel workers/owners at this hostel and others in the surrounding area. I returned to this area in the spring of 2025 and conducted over twenty more interviews in this same general location. This paper compares these two sets of interviews with an eye on the effects of this storm on the hikers’ experience. The 2025 interviews asked questions specifically related to the effects Hurricane Helene on the hostel and associated hiking culture. The effects of this disaster on the hiking infrastructure and the ongoing recovery are examined in this paper.
  • “We Are More Than Just Nurses”: Navigating Gendered Professions, Motherhood, and the COVID-19 Pandemic. Autumn Rena Martin, University of Louisville
    The COVID-19 pandemic led to numerous social, economic, and health consequences. As infection rates increased and government shutdowns were implemented, significant changes occurred in society, particularly for working mothers. In this research, I conducted in-depth interviews to examine women’s experiences as paid caregivers and explored how they navigate their work and home life during a global pandemic. Research shows socialized gender roles tend to be reinstated during disasters and crises, and subsequently, the COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by vulnerability and uncertainty. This research examined the additional barriers and hardships that the pandemic presented to mothers working as essential workers. Themes that were seen amongst the women included a decline in mental health and an increase in burnout, conflicting emotions associated with their purpose and profession. This research focuses on mothers’ experiences of navigating the double bind during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The War That Follows: Trauma, Displacement, and the Ongoing Disaster of Exile shahd alasaly, university of south florida
    Abstract For many refugees, war is not a singular rupture but a cascade of disasters--political, social, and personal--that unfold over years. The initial catastrophe of armed conflict brings acute loss: the destruction of homes, the deaths of loved ones, and the severing of community ties. Yet the trauma continues long after the headlines fade, manifesting in protracted displacement, statelessness, and the cultural dislocation of resettlement. Drawing on qualitative research with Syrian refugees in the United States, this paper explores how the trauma of war compounds the already complex disaster of forced migration. Participants’ narratives illuminate the layered “textures” of loss: grief for a place that can no longer be returned to, the strain of adapting to new sociocultural norms, and the invisibility of suffering in destination societies. At the same time, these stories reveal acts of care and love, community solidarity, spiritual practices, and cultural preservation-that serve as vital mechanisms of recovery. By placing refugee experiences within disaster scholarship, this paper argues for an expanded understanding of disasters as lived, ongoing processes, and for recovery models that address both the psychological scars of war and the structural inequities of exile. Keywords: refugees, war trauma, forced migration, disaster recovery, collective trauma, displacement, Syrian diaspora, resilience, cultural preservation, social change
  • Assessing the Role of Social Capital on Post-disaster Amphan Recovery in Southwestern Coastal Bangladesh Bayezid Khan, Oklahoma State University; and Md. Jahid Hassan, Khulna University, Bangladesh
    The Southwestern coastal Bangladesh experienced severe cyclone Amphan that devastated 8 districts keeping 2.6 million people seriously affected in 2020. This study explores how coastal communities responded to this disaster with localized strategies and adopted pre-existing social fabric induced social capital during the recovery stage. Qualitative data was collected in 2023 from Burigualini village of Shyamnagar upazilla under Satkhira district from 10 in-depth interviews (IDI), 5 key informant interviews (KII) and 2 focus group studies (FGD). The findings suggest that all three forms of social capita bonding, bridging and linking played instrumental roles in multiple layers of recovery processes. Social capital served as a life-saving device for the locals in the immediate aftermath of disaster. While the bonding and bridging significantly helped the villagers from the initial period to long-term recovery, the benefits of linking were reaped by only a few. It exposed how long prevailing social structure; patronage networks paved the way to the misappropriation of the sizable amount of disaster reliefs and rehabilitation resources by local elites. It urges appropriate policy, and programs are taken to manage such disasters in a way so that the zeal of social fabrics does not fail to sustainably mobilize resources.
  • “Wounds Beyond the Battlefield, Collateral Healing: War, Health, and the Struggle for Recovery” Darrell Walsh, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
    War is not only a geopolitical rupture—it is a public health disaster that reshapes bodies, minds, and systems through forced social change. This interdisciplinary review examines the health consequences of armed conflict as a central thread in the broader tapestry of human development. Drawing from diverse research domains, we synthesize evidence on how violence disrupts physical and mental health, healthcare infrastructure, and access to essential services such as water and food. We explore how these disruptions cascade across generations, intertwining with displacement, institutional collapse, and socio-psychological trauma. By bridging disciplinary silos, this study reveals how health outcomes are not isolated metrics but deeply embedded in the textures of loss, resilience, and recovery. The review identifies critical gaps in empirical understanding and calls for a more holistic framework—one that recognizes health not merely as survival, but as a site of love, care, and contested recovery in the aftermath of war. In doing so, we offer a sociological lens to reimagine health policy and humanitarian response as acts of restoration and resistance.
5. Criminology and Crime
Thursday | 9:30 am-10:45 am | Hampton Terrace 3A

Presider: Brett Lehman, Auburn University at Montgomery
  • Excluded and Afraid: Relational Victimization and Adolescent Fear at School Brett Lehman, Auburn University at Montgomery; and Courtney Waid, Auburn University at Montgomery
    Relational victimization in schools is an understudied yet significant phenomenon that is closely related to bullying. Students who experience relational victimization report that they are the subject of harmful rumors and are purposefully excluded from social groups. These kinds of victimizations have been associated with a host of troubling outcomes, including depression, thoughts of self-harm, anxiety, and low self-esteem. While relational victimization is not physical in nature, this presentation will make the case that feeling excluded by peers is associated with an additional outcome – fear of physical victimization at school. Data from the 2019 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey will be analyzed and presented in support of this assertion. Ordered logistic regression analysis of these data controlling for relevant predictors of fear of victimization depict a failure to reduce the significance of the relationship between exclusion and fear. Our presentation will include a review of previous literature on social isolation and fear of crime in an effort to develop a theoretical explanation to accompany the statistical findings.
  • Immigrant Generational Status and Everyday Deviance: A Sociological-Criminological Analysis Using NLSY97 Alican Ibacik, Middle Tennessee State University
    This study explores how immigrant generational status shapes engagement in minor deviant behaviors, framing these everyday infractions as reflections of legal socialization, acculturation, and intergenerational adaptation. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97), the analysis compares first-generation immigrants (foreign-born), second-generation immigrants (U.S.-born with foreign-born parents), and native-born citizens. Minor deviant acts—such as jaywalking, red-light violations, littering, petty theft, and marijuana use—are conceptualized as informal indicators of norm adherence and civic integration. The research draws on social disorganization theory, acculturation stress models, and legal consciousness frameworks to contextualize behavioral differences. Preliminary insights suggest that first-generation immigrants may exhibit lower levels of deviance due to heightened legal awareness and cultural conservatism, while second-generation immigrants demonstrate increased engagement, possibly tied to acculturation challenges and shifting normative boundaries. Given the exploratory nature of the project, appropriate statistical techniques (e.g., t-tests or regression models) will be selected based on sample distribution and variable availability. The roundtable will engage with challenges in generational categorization, data limitations, and implications for immigrant integration, delinquency prevention, and public policy. By centering everyday deviance, this study sheds light on the nuanced ways immigrant youth navigate legal and cultural expectations in the U.S. context.
  • Effects of Family Size on Imprudent Behavior in Adulthood Abigail Kizziah, Samford University
    Family size is an often-discussed decision, and stereotypes and narratives about only (or middle, oldest, youngest) children abound. This paper aims to contribute to a fuller understanding of the developmental consequences of family size, adding to the literature base that agrees on the negative effects of large families. Using the Add Health Wave V public use data, risky and imprudent behavior as defined in the general theory of crime is analyzed in relation to number of siblings in an attempt to determine long-term behavioral effects of large families. Theories of self-control, resource dilution, life course, and strain are utilized to explain levels of deviance in relation to sibship size. Regression and correlation analysis reveals no relationship between adulthood-specific deviance and sibship size, but significant correlation between general life-stage deviance and sibship size. This reveals an opportunity for further research on effects of sibling number in adulthood, and in changes over time in deviant and imprudent behavior.
  • Intersecting Inequities: The Role of Race and Socioeconomic Status in Juvenile Recidivism Patterns Beatrice Aduko, Texas Tech University
    This study examines the intersectionality of race and socioeconomic status in predicting juvenile recidivism and the defensive role of employment and quality of relationships as turning points in criminal desistance. Using data from the Pathways to Desistance dataset that tracks 1,354 juveniles for 7 years across Phoenix, Arizona, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, we analyzed how demographic intersections and relationship quality influence reoffending patterns. The results demonstrate that the intersection of race and socioeconomic status significantly affects juvenile recidivism rates, with compounding effects observed across different demographic combinations. Additionally, we found that quality romantic relationships and employment serve as protective factors, significantly reducing the likelihood of criminal reoffending among youth. These findings highlight the importance of considering intersectional identities rather than isolated demographic factors when developing juvenile justice interventions and suggest that programs supporting healthy relationship formation and employment of juveniles may be effective components of recidivism reduction strategies. The research contributes to understanding how social bonds, employment, and structural inequalities jointly influence pathways out of criminal behavior during the critical transition from adolescence to adulthood.
  • The Far-Reach of Whiteness Ideologies and their Harm Across Racial and Ethnic Lines: A Theory of Whiteness and Crime Approach Deena Isom, University of South Carolina
    Although whiteness is most often examined as a set of dominant ideologies shaping the behaviors and outcomes of white Americans, little is known about the degree to which people of Color also internalize or negotiate these ideologies and with what consequences. Using data from a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults, this study applies Isom’s Theory of Whiteness and Crime to assess the prevalence of whiteness ideologies across racial and ethnic groups and to examine their associations with a range of negative social, psychological, and structural outcomes. Findings reveal beyond expect associations among white Americans, significant proportions of Black and Latine respondents express endorsement of key dimensions of whiteness, albeit in patterned and context-specific ways. These results highlight both the pervasiveness of whiteness ideologies beyond white populations and the uneven burdens they impose. By documenting these dynamics within a national sample, this study extends the theoretical reach of the Theory of Whiteness and Crime, emphasizing the need to account for how racialized belief systems circulate across communities and contribute to the persistence of racialized social control.
6. Teaching across the Sociological Spectrum
Thursday | 9:30 am-10:45 am | Sesame
  • Qualitative Analysis of Student Perceptions of Native and Non-Native Writing Tutors Greg Marcus, Mississippi State University
    Writing-centers on college campuses are often viewed by students and teachers as a service. People can go to the writing center for writing assistance. However, the tutoring process is generally assumed in literature to be native English speakers tutoring all types of writers. Crozier and Workman (2022) piloted two methods of ethnographic study on the communication between tutors and students in a writing-center session. Additionally, Harris (2021) showed a gap between administrator expectations and actual data on emotional support practices for writing-center consultants and Bychkovska and Lawrence (2024) focus on working with multilingual writers whose needs are often different than standard tutoring practices. Using data from 40 sessions, we observe how multilingual writing tutors were perceived by the writers they worked with in an English language writing-center. We recorded and transcribed 20 sessions with non-native English-speaking tutors and 20 sessions with native speaking English tutors. These sessions were then transcribed and uploaded to MaxQDA for qualitative analysis. In our study, we answer: What does tutoring practice mean for tutors and does it change for native or non-native speakers of English? How do perceptions of effective tutoring shape tutor practices? How does native or non-native English-speaking shape tutoring practices and perceptions?
  • Assessment of Communication Skills Among Engineering Undergraduate Students: Qualitative and Quantitative Data Zhibek Baktybekova, Texas Tech University; Patricia Maloney, Texas Tech University; Weilong Cong, Texas Tech University; and Meng Zhang, Texas Tech University
    Effective communication skills are essential for engineering students. Lack of competency affects their performance, especially in interdisciplinary settings that require written and verbal communication with non-engineers. This study examines how undergraduate engineering students (N = 25) develop communication skills within a Point-of-Care (POC) Additive Manufacturing (AM) course, considering their first-generation status, gender, and race. POC AD refers to the manufacturing process that enables the on-demand creation of objects in healthcare settings (e.g., prosthetics, casts), requiring engineers to understand the needs of patients and staff. We are gathering both subjective, self-assessment data from interviews and surveys, as well as objective content analysis data from their emails, mock job interviews, and text chats within their teams and with healthcare staff. Initial results indicate that students overestimate their communication skills, highlighting a challenge in teaching those skills. Content analysis indicates that they are more skilled in clarity of writing than in asking questions or understanding others’ perspectives.
  • IN THE ABSENCE OF COLLECTIVE EFFICACY: EXAMINING ACADEMIC DISHONESTY THROUGH THE LENS OF SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION David C. May, Mississippi State University; and DAVID OLUWASHINA ADEMULE, MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY
    ABSTRACT: Although academic dishonesty has become a perennial problem in higher education and social disorganization theory (SDT) remains one of the most widely cited theories in criminology, little is known about how SDT indicators relate to academic dishonesty. This study examines associations between institutional-level structural characteristics and reported academic dishonesty across approximately 50 U.S. public universities. Combining data obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, university websites, and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), we operationalized poverty, ethnic heterogeneity, residential mobility, and collective efficacy—alongside other contextual variables. Using Pearson correlation analysis and independent-samples t-tests, we found: (1) significant positive associations between reported academic dishonesty and both part-time enrollment and full-time retention rate; (2) negative associations between academic dishonesty and acceptance rate, the percentage of foreign students, and the percentage of students receiving Pell Grants; and (3) universities with community engagement initiatives, honor code policies, and membership in major football leagues reported higher levels of academic dishonesty. Implications for academic integrity policies and the theoretical extension of SDT are discussed.
7. Panel: Lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina: Economic inequality, vulnerability, public policy, and evacuation [Workshop]
Thursday | 11:00 am-12:15 pm | 1906
  • The Importance of Mentoring: Past, Present and Future
  • Economic inequality, vulnerability, public policy, and evacuation: Lessons learned from Hurricane: Katrina: challenges and consequencess Ollie Christian, Southern University
    Panel: Economic inequality, vulnerability, public policy, and evacuation: Lessons learned from Hurricane: Katrina: challenges and consequences

Panelist:
  • Ollie Christian, Southern University
8. Sociological Theory - Thursday
Thursday | 11:00 am-12:15 pm | Greene
  • Alienation and the Commodification of the Imaginary
    This paper reinterprets Karl Marx’s theory of alienation through the lens of imagination. While Marx is often read as diagnosing the estrangement of the worker from the product, process, and purpose of labor, I argue that his early conception of Gattungswesen (species-being) places imagination at the core of human distinctiveness. For Marx, labor is not merely the satisfaction of necessity but the imaginative projection and realization of self-determined ends in material form. To be human is to objectify one’s capacities, to transform nature according to envisioned possibilities. Alienation, therefore, entails not only the loss of ownership or control over the product of labor, but the estrangement of the very imaginative faculty that defines humanity.
  • On the Evolution of Jeffersonian Democracy through Natural Selection: The Endurance of Spencerian Darwinism in the Pursuit of American Exceptionalism Asa Gordon, ; and Keith Parker, National Education & Empowerment Coalition
    This essay explores the ideological conflict between Thomas Jefferson’s vision of an egalitarian multiracial democracy and Herbert Spencer’s Social Darwinism, which legitimizes social hierarchies as natural outcomes of competition. It traces how these competing narratives have shaped American exceptionalism and influenced political debates and policies from the 19th century to the present day.
  • After the Cultural Turn – For a Normative Concept of Society Oliver Kozlarek, Universidad Michoacana
    Around 30 years ago, there were some intense theoretical debates in the social sciences, particularly in sociology. One of the most notable trends was summarised under the term 'cultural turn'. In the first part of my presentation, I will discuss some of the consequences of these changes, focusing particularly on their impact on social theory. In the second part, I will explain how the cultural turn dethrones an emphatic and normative concept of society. In the final section, I will argue for a return to this concept.
9. Gender Research into Practice with a focus on Advocacy and Activism
Thursday | 11:00 am-12:15 pm | Hampton Terrace 3A
  • Unforgivable Curses: Identity Dilemmas and Emotion Work in a Fractured Fandom Jacob Church, Jacksonville State University; Brianna Turgeon, Jacksonville State University; and Addie Lott, Jacksonville State University
    In 2019, J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, posted statements on social media that revealed her transphobic views. The Harry Potter community has long been recognized as an inclusive space for LGBTQ fans, which made Rowling’s comments especially disruptive. In the aftermath of the numerous transphobic social media posts, transgender and transgender-ally Harry Potter fans have grappled with complex identity processes as they decide whether and how to remain connected to the series. Drawing on survey and interview data collected between 2022 and 2024, we examine how fans and former fans engage in emotion and identity work as they navigate this dilemma. Both the surveys (n=204) and interviews (n=30) ask fans and former fans about their opinions about Harry Potter, participation in the fandom, and emotional investment before and after Rowling’s transphobic public statements.. Our preliminary findings suggest that participants wrestle with tensions between their identities as Harry Potter fans and their identities as members of, or allies to, the transgender community. While some resolve this conflict by prioritizing their allyship or community membership, many instead describe balancing both identities by creating and maintaining nuanced boundaries. Emotion work is central to this process, with participants drawing on both their feelings and their expectations about those feelings as they attempt to reconcile the contradiction at the heart of this identity struggle. In this research, we seek to understand the feelings, identity negotiation, and boundaries of fans who identify JK Rowling’s stance as transphobic.
10. Medical Sociology and Mental Health
Thursday | 11:00 am-12:15 pm | Sesame
  • Self-Rated Health and Vulnerability Among Older Adults Abolade Oladimeji, Samford University
    Older adults are among the most vulnerable demographics exposed to stressors, including the impacts of disasters. Some of the unique challenges that make older adults vulnerable include declining physical health, limited social activities, and lack of coping resources. A body of research has shown that higher self-rated health is associated with psychological resources, such as coping resources, self-esteem, and mastery, as well as other resources like social support and financial resources, which help moderate and mediate the effects of stressors. The sample consisted of 1,523 older adults (aged 65 and above) who had at least two outpatient primary care visits and one Medicare Annual Wellness Visit. An ordered logistic regression model was used to predict self-rated health on a five-point scale from "poor" to "excellent." The regression analysis showed that older adults with higher social limitations reported poorer self-rated health, while older adults with higher physical activity reported better self-rated health. According to the neighborhood composition and index of concentration at the extremes, older adults living in predominantly white neighborhoods reported higher self-rated health than those living in predominantly Black neighborhoods. Additionally, older adults living in predominantly high-income neighborhoods reported higher self-rated health than those living in predominantly low-income neighborhoods.
  • Death Advocates and Dying Mediators: Conceptualizing Doula’s Role at the End of Life Sarah Beth Donley, Jacksonville State University ; and Sassy Pilkington, Jacksonville State University
    As the U.S. population ages and interest in community-based approaches to death and dying grows, end-of-life doulas (EOLDs) have emerged as key players in reshaping how individuals experience the dying process. This qualitative study examines how EOLDs conceptualize their roles in end-of-life care. Drawing on 24 interviews with practicing doulas, we identify four key roles through which doulas describe their work: advocate, educator, facilitator, and mediator. As advocates, they amplify the voices of dying individuals and their families within complex medical systems; as educators, they demystify death and clarify options that are often unknown or misunderstood; as facilitators, they support logistical, emotional, and existential preparation for death; and as mediators, they manage interpersonal dynamics and emotional tensions that arise at the end of life. This study contributes to growing scholarship on end-of-life care by more systematically documenting doulas’ roles and exploring how they might be better integrated into broader care frameworks.
  • Young Adult Chronic Disease and Subjective Midlife Well-being and Mental Health: Does Social Milestone Achievement Mediate the Link? Hannah Lindl, university of alabama at birmingham
    Nearly one-in-four young adults ages 18-34 have a chronic disease, which has been linked to worse midlife mental health. Prior studies have little-examined the mechanism behind this association. The life course perspective suggests that because chronic disease in young adulthood is an unexpected and “off-time” event it may disrupt the achievement and timing of key social milestones. Inability to achieve or perceived delays in achieving the social markers of adulthood (e.g., completing school, homeownership, marriage) may therefore lead to worse midlife mental health. To address this proposition, I used panel data from the Youth Development Study (YDS and multivariate regression techniques to examine the association between young adult chronic disease and midlife mental health, formally testing whether social milestone achievement and timing mediate this association. Overall, I find that chronic disease in early adulthood is associated with poorer self-rated health, lower mastery, more depressive affect, and having a mood disorder in midlife. These associations persist net of controls for individual sociodemographic characteristics, adolescent self-esteem, and parent socioeconomic status. Although associated with lower odds of achieving specific milestones (i.e., owning a home, starting a career, being financially independent, cohabiting, and getting married), achieving fewer milestones overall, and late perceived timing or not expecting to achieve a milestone, I find limited evidence that individual social milestones mediate the association between young adult chronic disease and midlife mental health. Achieving fewer total social milestones and perceptions of being off-time (or not expecting to achieve a milestone at all) partially mediate the association. Taken together, these findings suggest that although young adults with chronic disease achieve fewer social milestones (especially financial) and perceive themselves as off-time this does not explain their worse mental health in midlife. Future research should examine differences in the timing of diagnosis and disease severity, as well as consider whether young adult chronic disease spurs a cognitive transformation that decouples social milestone achievement from perceptions of self, discarding the normative expectations of social milestone achievement, and leading to lower subjective-well-being simply because one has a chronic disease.
11. Publishing in Academic Journals: Tips & Tricks to Avoid a Desk Reject
Thursday | 11:00 am-12:15 pm | Taft
12. Book Proposal Preparation Workshop [Workshop]
Thursday | 2:00 pm-3:15 pm | Taft

Organizer: Jennifer Patrice Sims, University of Alabama in Huntsville
Presider: Jennifer Patrice Sims, University of Alabama in Huntsville
13. Environment, Climate Change, and Future Directions
Thursday | 2:00 pm-3:15 pm | 1906
  • The Costs of Outsourcing Climate Solutions to Artificial Intelligence from an Environmental Justice Framework
    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technological innovation that is evolving particularly in the field of climate change research. Previous literature has studied how AI benefits the exploration and feasibility of climate change mitigation and adaptation; however, this paper investigates the implications of outsourcing climate change solutions to AI on environmental outcomes through its carbon footprint, neoliberal ideologies, and overall alignment problem. The intersections of the Anthropocene and the information and technological revolution raise several questions in both the natural and social scientific research. As such, the guiding research question is: how does outsourcing climate solutions to AI contribute to further environmental degradation and unequal distribution of environmental burdens? Researching the implications of AI through an interdisciplinary lens will be imperative to the future of studying the environmental and societal impacts of climate change in the age of technology. This paper critically addresses how such implications bring about environmental justice concerns through unequal distribution of pollutants and toxic materials, neoliberal objectives that turn natural resources into a commodity, and how its alignment problem contributes to skewed opinions from the general public on not just AI itself, but disparities enacted through the climate crisis as well. I hold that the infrastructure behind generative AI must be restructured to address its extensive carbon footprint, growth-centered approach, and misalignment before it can begin developing proper mitigation strategies. With the use of environmental sociology, the issues surrounding AI’s countertechnologies, neoliberal ideologies, and alignment problem can be better addressed and understood, ensuring that AI’s benefits can actually be put into practice without the occurrence of additional environmental degradation.
  • Producing Techno-Optimism: The Alternative Energy Transition as Spectacle Matthew Jerome Schneider, University of North Carolina Wilmington
    The alternative/renewable energy transition has been heavily critiqued for its role in reproducing inequity, colonial relationships, and ecological disruption through the mining of rare earth minerals in the Global South, steel production, and top-down development initiatives. How and why, then, has alternative energy become the widely accepted answer to meet the needs of the climate crisis? Social scientists understand this relationship between climate response and inequality through the lens of “techno-optimism,” or the notion that technological innovation and advancement will allow for societies to engineer their way out of the climate crisis without giving attention to the social relations that brought about the crisis in the first place. In this presentation, I describe two experiences from an ongoing event ethnography project: a visit to view the Rampion wind farm in Brighton, UK and attendance at the Economist Impact events in London, UK. I leverage these experiences to identify the ways in which techno-optimism is actively produced. In stronger terms, I argue that these experiences suggest that the greenwashing of the energy transition is facilitated by corporate elites that actively work to obscure the potential for social and ecological harms through the use of spectacle.
  • Human–Leopard Conflict in Community Forests of Nepal Ashra Kunwar, University of Florida
    Human–wildlife conflict is a growing challenge worldwide, threatening both species survival and local livelihoods. In Nepal, expanding human settlements and shrinking habitats have intensified interactions between people and leopards, leading to livestock loss, crop damage, and risks to human safety. This study examined the ecological and social factors shaping human–leopard conflict in Arghakhanchi District. A mixed-methods approach was used, including structured questionnaires with 120 households (25 conflict-affected families and 95 other residents in Sandhikharka villages and town), along with key informant interviews with Division Forest Office staff and community forest leaders. To assess prey diversity, nine infrared camera traps were deployed in community forests. Survey data, analyzed using ANOVA, revealed that both literate and illiterate respondents expressed predominantly negative attitudes toward leopards. Prey diversity analysis recorded 72 independent wildlife images, including mongooses, wild cats, rabbits, porcupines, and barking deer, but the majority of the 6,750 camera trap images showed human activity, suggesting low prey abundance and high human presence in leopard habitats. Principal Component Analysis indicated that land-use change, scarcity of water resources, grazing practices, and proximity of livestock and household infrastructure to forests significantly increased the likelihood of conflict. These findings underscore the need for integrated conservation strategies that combine ecological restoration, improved water management, livestock protection, and community engagement. Addressing both ecological and social drivers is essential to reduce human–leopard conflict and promote coexistence in rapidly changing landscapes.
  • Action or Apathy: Comparing Indigenous and Mainstream News Media Narratives about the Climate Mary Kate Baker, Samford University ; Jennifer Rahn, Samford University; and Theresa Davidson, Samford University
    Though news coverage of climate change has increased in recent decades (see Mooney, 2025), the content of that coverage has not been fully examined. In particular, not enough is known about how coverage may differ depending upon news source. This project aims to address that gap by comparing mainstream online news coverage of climate change with that of Native American online news coverage. Using close textual analysis, informed by Goffman’s Framing Theory, the authors will consider differences between mainstream and Native news in their coverage of climate change. We hypothesize that Native news stories will have more themes related to resilience, sovereignty, and community than non-Native news stories. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for public understanding based on news framing.
  • Impounded: A Political Ecology of American Lakes in US Empire Aaron Padgett, University of Kentucky
    This project locates how discursive and material dams and lakes are utilized in the expansion of US imperial power. Several of the United States’ 53,000+ human-made lakes were developed during the “Big Dam Era,” a period of the mid-twentieth century in which the US allocated significant resources to the construction of dams for hydroelectricty. The diversion of rivers into concentrated freshwater reservoirs – a process known as impounding – heavily relied on the federal government’s use of eminent domain. These diversions transformed many communities and environments beyond recognition in the name of the public good. The US concurrently bolstered its global power position in the post-World War II era; after obtaining the region of Micronesia as a strategic asset from Japan, political, military, and humanitarian actors discursively impounded its new oceanic and island possessions as “America’s Lake in the Pacific.” Moving from military to civilian postcolonial administration, the US reinforced regional ties through a liberal techno-rationalist development regime centering the idea of American benevolence. Domestically and abroad, discursive-material impoundments extend hegemony through narratives of prosperity and mastery for the public and global good. These processes belie uneven power relations undergirding mobilizations of hydro-imperial power in broader contexts of US empire.
14. Migration and Displacement
Thursday | 2:00 pm-3:15 pm | Sesame
  • Education and Escape: Student Migration to the US from Bangladesh After the July 2024 Revolution Naim Bin Hasan, Florida Atlantic University
    This study explores the transformation of Bangladeshi student migration to the United States after the July 2024 Revolution, a mango people's revolution led by youths that overthrew the sitting government in the midst of severe political repression. Historically a search for academic opportunity, Bangladeshi international student migration is presently driven by a hybrid motivation: education and political escape. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study conducts a survey of 70 Bangladeshi students at various stages in the U.S. migration process, comparing quantitative data and open-ended narratives. Drawing on push-pull theory, Hirschman's "exit-voice-loyalty" framework, and transnationalism theory, the paper substantiates that socio-political push factors such as insecurity, corruption, and repression have come to dominate traditional academic grounds. Students are increasingly viewing foreign higher education as a legitimate safety valve and a basis for sustained transnational political mobilization. The findings reflect a shift in the migration studies landscape, whereby student mobility constitutes self-survival and activism. The study ends with a discussion of implications for migration theory, the political future of Bangladesh, and institutional support systems for American universities.
  • Migration as Resistance and Identity Preservation: Understanding International Migration of Indigenous Youth from the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh. Basu Mittra Chakma, Texas Tech University
    The study aims to reveal how Indigenous youth from the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) use international migration as a means of resistance to systemic marginalization and disparities caused by the nation-state. In response to ongoing political and cultural marginalization, these Indigenous youth are preserving their cultures and engaging in activism at the international level. Furthermore, the study will examine how they resist dominant narratives through transborder activism and cultural sovereignty. Considering these circumstances, this paper addresses two main research questions: (1) How do Indigenous youth from the CHT utilize migration and transnational networks as strategies of resistance against state-led marginalization policies? (2) In what ways do these youth maintain their cultural identities within diasporic contexts in the era of globalization? Employing a qualitative methodology, the research will conduct in-depth interviews, participant observations, and analyze digital media content to understand the phenomenon holistically. Thematic analysis will be used to identify key patterns of resistance, culture, and identity preservation across borders. The study contributes to the academic understanding of Indigenous resistance, sovereignty, and identity politics. It challenges traditional narratives by emphasizing how migration serves as a form of existence and resistance. As the researcher is from an Indigenous background, the study will examine the differences between narratives of Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars. Moreover, the results of the study will offer valuable insights for policymakers, activists, and scholars working toward Indigenous rights and cultural preservation. Finally, this study highlights the role of Indigenous agency in the international arena to promote sovereignty in a globalized world.
  • "Women are Just for Procreation": Exploring the Impacts of Patriarchal Hegemony in Restricting Women’s Agency among Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh Md Shihabul Islam, Oklahoma State University
    The Rohingya refugee women settling in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, experience a double-edged predicament due to both their refugee status and female identity within patriarchal cultural orientations. This study aims to explore the impacts of patriarchal power dynamics in restricting women’s agency on the marginalized Rohingya refugee women in Bangladesh. A qualitative research design was administered to conduct the study in two Rohingya refugee camps, Kutupalong (camp 7) and Hakimpara (camp 14), located in Ukhiya Upazilla, Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh. A total of twenty-two (22) in-depth interviews were conducted using the purposive sampling technique, along with ten (10) key informant interviews with community leaders, administrative officers, and gender-based program personnel. The findings show that Rohingya refugee camps uphold patriarchal hegemony through longstanding cultural practices, relegating women to roles centered on sexuality, procreation, and childcare. Deeply entrenched patriarchal norms constrain women’s agency through imposing strict attire patterns, encouraging polygyny, normalizing intimate partner violence, and perpetuating a culture of silencing girls in the face of discrimination. The male-dominated leadership system curtails women's decision-making opportunities, and nonconformity with deep-seated cultural norms leads to stigmatization, divorce, and social ostracism. Addressing the root causes of patriarchal hegemony is crucial for fostering a more equitable environment where Rohingya women can fully realize their rights and potential.
  • Morphological Changes of the Padma River and Their Impact on Livelihood Patterns: A Case-Based Study Using Satellite Imagery Fahim Tahsan, Oklahoma State University
    The Padma River in Bangladesh is widely recognized for its dynamic and unpredictable course; however, for communities residing along its banks, these shifts represent more than mere geographic change. This study explores how riverbank erosion and land loss between 2008 and 2021 have disrupted lives in Naria and Zanjira, two vulnerable riverside communities in Shariatpur District. Using satellite imagery, we observed major reductions in cropland and increases in bare and built-up land clear signs of a changing river. But the real impact came through voices we heard in focus group discussions and interviews: families losing their homes, switching to fishing, borrowing money at high interest, and pulling children out of school. Guided by the Sustainable Livelihood Framework, we examined how erosion affects everything from income and education to mental health and food security. While some households showed remarkable resilience, the scale of loss highlights the urgent need for government-led, localized support. This research gives voice to those often left out of climate change conversations and calls attention to a rural population navigating the frontline of environmental transformation in the Global South. Our findings show how climate-driven displacement is not just a future concern it’s already unfolding in real time.
15. Religion, Politics, and Social Movements [Regular Paper Session]
Thursday | 3:30 pm-4:45 pm | Greene

Organizers: Shelly McGrath, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Ruth Chananie, University of Tampa;
Presider: Shelly McGrath, University of Alabama at Birmingham
  • Sociology in Times of Political Disruption Shelly McGrath, University of Alabama at Birmingham
    Sociology, Criminal Justice, other departments, and academia as a whole are facing a crisis due to the political disruption occuring in the nation. Though not a new crisis in our history, but one that has been under attack for several decades. This papers looks at sociology and the attacks on the discipline through a historical context followed by the current political climate and the attacks on higher education.
  • Leadership in the face of unconstitutional calamities: The responses of street activists and community organizers in social justice and animal rights movements to police and the threats of military infringements on Constitutional rights. Stephen Davis, Arizona State University
    Disaster sirens of Constitutional proportions are sounding for social justice leadership -- or are they false alarms? Street activists, community organizers, and entrepreneurs, many of whom are people of color, rely on First Amendment protections of their calls for justice and their warnings on behalf of communities and victims who either cannot speak for themselves or cannot be heard without threats of violence, disappearance, kidnapping, or deportation. This paper reports on an ethnographic research project in Arizona focusing on leaders and activists within social justice and animal rights communities, including frequent and tense interactions with police, political authorities, and business owners who become the target of activist campaigns. How do activists handle heavy-handed police responses despite advanced preparation? How can community organizers teach the police that their job is, or should be, to protect the First Amendment rights of nonviolent protesters above the perceived rights of businesses and of the politically connected targets of their campaigns? Do activists feel that police, and now, military and National Guard units, are eroding our Constitutional rights, or adding to risks of violence against nonviolent protesters? Which parts of the U.S. Constitution can survive an authoritarian disaster?
  • Rebels and Reformers: Political Deviance Within the Miami Valley Socialist Newspaper (1912-1920) Stanley Adam Veitch, Tuskegee University; and Tierra James, Auburn University
    From 1912 to 1929, the Socialist Party of America published the newspaper Miami Valley Socialist in Dayton, Ohio. This newspaper was created during the peak of popularity for this radical political party. The newspaper attempted to frame local social problems and news as social class issues for poor and working-class people in the area, attempting to foster the formation of a class consciousness. This article samples thirty issues from the years 1912 to 1920 (when circulation began dropping rapidly). Within this sample, framing themes were used to connect local, state, national, and international social problems as being an outgrowth of capitalism. The growth of this newspaper and the electoral power of the Socialist Party during this era shows that framing political deviance as a positive subcultural movement within mass media allows for resistance to the stigma of socialism created by larger capitalist society.
  • Why White Isn't Enough: Theorizing a Multiracial Christian Nationalism Marcus Brooks, Western Kentucky University
    Scholars of Christian Nationalism are quick to clarify that their work on Christianity is also work on whiteness. This caveat is substantiated by clearly distinguished racialized histories of Christianity in the United States. But does this framing of White Christian Nationalism prevent us from understanding how Christian Nationalist ideologies show up across racial groups? In this presentation, I will discuss preliminary results of data analysis from an ongoing project looking at Black conservative Christians. I'll connect this empirical work with development of my theory of Colorblind Nationalism.
  • The Racialization of Radicalism: Communism and Racial Imagery Jade Tran, Loyola University New Orleans
    This research aims to contribute to understandings of how race operates as a powerful predictor of political attitudes, and how white supremacy acts as a foundational pillar of capitalist production in the United States. Using a randomized survey experiment (N = 85), this study examines whether exposure to racialized images of communists influences respondents’ views on communism and economic redistribution. Drawing upon historical and theoretical frameworks laid by Marx and Du Bois, I hypothesize that Americans primed with non-white representations of communists will exhibit stronger anti-communist sentiment than those shown white communists or neutral content.
  • To Be or Not to Be American: A Discourse Analysis on the Puerto Rican Status Act Diego Cordova, Univeristy of Tampa
    This paper utilized discourse analysis to investigate the rhetoric that was utilized in a 2023 press conference revolving around the Puerto Rican Status Act. Drawing upon existing literature surrounding colonial and racial theory, I argued that some of the quotes found within this press conference symbolized the feeling of inferiority many Puerto Ricans feel in relation to their culture. For instance, the canonization of the U.S and the preference of being American and Puerto Rican serve to demonstrate how decades of colonial rule have warped the way the island’s residents view their role in the world. Furthermore, the continued emphasis on statehood as the solution to the island’s status by government officials serves to once again demonstrate how the island’s government, and by proxy its population, seek to further integrate themselves into the greater U.S and associate themselves closely with the label of American.
Discussant:
  • Ruth Chananie, University of Tampa;
16. The Threads of Society: A Sociological Dungeons & Dragons Workshop [Workshop]
Thursday | 3:30 pm-4:45 pm | Taft

Organizer: Vaun Baltimore, Middle Tennessee State University
17. I'm Hiring/I'm on the Job Market: Candidate Meets Search Chair [Workshop]
Friday | 8:00 am-9:15 am | Taft
18. Education As Empowerment [Regular Paper Session]
Friday | 9:30 am-10:45 am | Sesame
  • Talladega College History: Power, Media Representations, and Criminalization in Higher Education Ashla H. Roseboro, Alabama State University; and Katrice Crawford, Alabama State University
    Talladega College, the first HBCU founded in Alabama, was organized by formerly enslaved Black men and the American Missionary Association. Integration of public spaces received backlash at Talladega College with the rise of student activism in the 1950s. Northern White faculty and administrators migrated to the U.S. South to educate previously enslaved students. Political and cultural differences resulted in the termination of President Adam Daniel Beittel in 1952 because of activism at a historically Black college. HBCUs are beloved places of knowledge to liberate people, especially Blacks, to gain economic wealth and social status. Fear tactics used in instruction to control students resulted in a leadership crisis during the 1950’s when students demanded change. Rev. Arthur Gray became the first permanent African American president of Talladega College after Beittel. Historical records, including newspapers, art, public images and institutional culture, found intersectional representations in media. Legislation shaped admissions and funding in higher education, such as the second Morrill Act, Brown v. Board of Education, and Civil Rights Acts. Consequently, this paper will illuminate how social movements at HBCUs struggled for students and faculty equality in spaces where the leadership systemically wanted to silence advocacy for social change.
  • The Evolution of American Higher Education Frank Elwell, Rogers State University
    Traditionally, higher education in America was seldom as bureaucratically organized as corporate or government institutions. American university organization was based on European traditions in which universities were organized around academic disciplines. Moreover, these traditional universities depend upon educated professionals who used their numbers and expertise to demand a voice in university governance, which often superseded bureaucratic order from an administration; many of these administrators were former professors coming up through the ranks themselves. This professor orientation began to wane in the latter half of the twentieth century as universities gradually transformed into corporate-like institutions producing technicians, managers, and executives to meet the needs of a technical society. This paper discusses the causes and consequences of this social evolutionary development
  • Race, Gender and Student Enrollment Trends at HBCUS: Implications for the Baccalaureate Origins Black Science and Engineering Doctorate Recipients Willie Pearson, Jr., Georgia Institute of Technology; Cheryl Leggon, Georgia Institute of Technology; and Yu Tao, Stevens Institute of Technology
    HBCUS have a long and storied history of producing a disproportionate share of Black science and engineering baccalaureate recipients who subsequently earn a doctorate in the same or related discipline. Nevertheless, Blacks continue to be underrepresented among science and engineering doctorate recipients compared to their representation in the general U.S.population. Collectively, these fields are in high demand and are among the highest paid professionals. Recent federal policy changes relevant to so called DEI and related initiative in science and engineering, and the U.S. Supreme Court decision (Students for Admission v. Harvard and UNC-CH) have sparked intense debates and concerns regarding th fiscal well-being of HBCUS. Relatedly, recent reports from the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics reveal that the number and proportion of Black students enrolled in predominantly White institutions exceed those attending HBCUS. Indeed, the trend has steadily over the last decade. Further, one HBCU now enrolls more White than . At least two others are trending in the sane direction. This study is a preliminary examination of the potential impact of the policy and enrollment trends on Black representation among Black science and engineering doctorate recipients. The study employs a qualitative methodology to review the current literature on the topic. The review focuses on both scholarly publications and reports from federal statistical agencies from 20220-preent.been steady
20. Presidential Thematic Session: First Responder Frameworks of Disaster Knowledge
Friday | 9:30 am-10:45 am | 1906
  • How Suspicion 911 Calls in New Orleans Reshape Our Understanding of the Power Threat Hypothesis Benjamin Wallace, MDRC
    Recent high-profile occurrences of 911 activity involving White callers and Black targets have directed scholarly and popular attention toward the racialized nature of 911 call systems. This study adopts the power-threat hypothesis to assess variation in calls reporting suspicious activity, disturbances, trespassing, and prowling. Using call records obtained from the New Orleans Police Department from 2019 to 2021, this study finds evidence contrary to the hypothesis. Neighborhoods with higher percentages of Black and nonwhite residents reported relatively fewer suspicion-related calls per 1,000 residents compared to whiter neighborhoods. In addition, political and economic threat variables did not significantly explain call rates. The methodological limitations and alternative explanations of this study are discussed.
  • Waiting for the Hurricane: Katrina and Kinfolk Wesley Monroe Shrum, Louisiana State University
    On the first week of our new Video Ethnography seminar, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. It was the first time such a seminar had ever been taught at LSU and the first class period was devoted to filming survivors who had escaped New Orleans and camped at the Baton Rouge Walmart off the Interstate. We spent much of the seminar videotaping the destruction and its aftermath, a project that eventually lasted five years. The 1200 hours of footage were put in storage for twenty years and on the 29th of August 2025 they were delivered to the Louisiana State Museum for permanent historical preservation. This paper documents that process, with video excerpts included.
  • Emotion Work in Emergency Communication Workers: A Mixed-Methods Analysis on Wellbeing Katherine Sweeney, University of alabama in birmingham
    *This is for my dissertation that is currently in progress with an estimated completion in November 2025*] Using a mixed-methods approach, this study aims to better understand the experiences and well-being of dispatchers who experience high emotional labor and work demands across the United States. While sociological research is available on police officers and emergency medical services (EMS), literature on dispatchers is lacking (Karunakaran 2022). Yet dispatchers are an important case study which can provide broader insight to both the sociology of professions and medical sociology as they provide critical health services yet experience high levels of burn out and low wages and sit at the intersection of service workers and first responders. Therefore, the importance of this project is to develop a sociological model of dispatchers as a profession, as well as increase the knowledge and awareness of the health implications of working as an emergency services dispatcher.
19. Thematic Session: Indigenous Frameworks of Disaster Knowledge
Friday | 9:30 am-10:45 am | 1906
  • Decolonizing Resilience in Approaches to Disaster Research Julian Miller, University of Louisville
    The current state of sociological disaster research is characterized by competing epistemological and methodological approaches to disaster recovery that frame resilience as either a quantifiable component of disaster research (Aka et al. 2017; Bergstrand et al. 2014;) or a unique human trait that helps people adapt to and endure the hardships created by a disaster (Imperiale and Vanclay 2016). Through local rather than corporate, bureaucratic, and/or neoliberal knowledge, individuals in communities affected by disaster can build resilience within themselves through improvisation (Tierney 2019), adaptation, and social learning (Haque et al. 2022). Particularly in indigenous (subaltern) communities, NGOs and aid groups may usurp the local knowledge/practices and replace them with a Westernized conception of disaster recovery (Ruszczyk 2019; Nurmala, Panjaitan, and Subiyanto 2023; Imperiale and Vanclay 2016). In some cases, the weaponized discourse used by these groups (Bergstrand et al. 2015) is reminiscent of epistemic violence because the NGOs are colonizing the knowledge, language, and practices of subaltern groups through the erasure of indigenous responses to disaster. By decolonizing the discourse of resilience and allowing local communities to self-organize and develop regionally specific adaptations to disasters, we can restore agency to these individuals and positively influence disaster responses in the future.
  • Politic(s) and Trauma(s) in Response to Disaster DeMond Miller, Rowan University; and Sotirios Chtouris, University of The Aegean
    Disasters are more intertwined with daily life. The unique interplay of natural hazards that trigger disasters, compound or cascade, and human factors, resulting in varied impacts and responses, is often part of the trauma that unfolds in the aftermath of the initial event (or series of events). However, This paper centers on the role of trauma and how political leaders play a crucial role in shaping public perception and policy decisions in the wake of disasters and crises. Their actions, in mitigating, planning, responding, and recovering from natural disasters, have significant political consequences, both positive and negative, for the survivors within the disaster landscape and the broader local and national political landscape. This paper examines how disasters disrupt social structures, leading to loss, displacement, and a sense of community breakdown, but also how shifts and indecisiveness in the political landscape further exacerbate the trauma many survivors face. To this end, we undertake a qualitative study of crisis response by major political leaders during a campaign year and how rhetoric shaped the initial response to disasters. Unique to this discussion are the roles of politics, structural violence, and political figures that seemingly perpetuate the impact of events stemming from catastrophic events.
21. Criminology and Crime II
Friday | 9:30 am-10:45 am | Hampton Terrace 3A
  • Cost and Constitution: Reframing Reform in Alabama Prison Oversight Committee Hearings Transcripts Kirstin Paulk, Auburn University at Montgomery; and Brett Lehman, Auburn University at Montgomery
    Organizations in the Alabama prison reform movement industry are tasked with gaining constituents for a progressive cause within the constraints of conservative opportunity structures. The fiscal burden of the Alabama Department of Corrections’ high rates of incarceration, underpaid or unpaid labor, racial disparities, violence, and death often becomes a framing perspective. Recently, movement leaders have used the ongoing construction of the state’s mega prison complexes within their rhetoric. During periods of more favorable political and cultural opportunity structures, local organizations adopt the “rights” master frame. This process will be demonstrated in the presentation using analyzed transcriptions of Alabama Joint Legislative Prison Oversight Committee hearings. Data from reports and social media posts published by both Alabama-based and national prison reform movement organizations will be presented for comparative analysis. The presentation will conclude by discussing how the movement’s contemporary professionalization may be impacting those it advocates for.
23. Getting Published: Acquisitions Editor Meet and Greet
Friday | 9:30 am-10:45 am | Taft
22. Navigating the Academic and Applied Job Market
Friday | 9:30 am-10:45 am | Taft
24. How to Navigate Academia Through These Troubling Times [Workshop]
Friday | 11:00 am-12:15 pm | 1906

Panelists:
  • Anita Bledsoe-Gardner, Johnson C. Smith University;
  • DeMond Miller, Rowan University;
  • Earl Wright II, Rhodes College;
25. Workshop: American Incarceration: A Social Disaster’s Devastating Impact on Families, Communities, and the Need for Reform [Workshop]
Friday | 11:00 am-12:15 pm | Taft

Presiders: Destiney Crawford, University of Alabama; Katrice Crawford, Alabama State University;
26. MSSA Community Poster Session
Friday | 11:00 am-12:15 pm | Greene
  • Hand Up, Not Hand Out: Empowering Rural Communities to Combat Addiction and Mental Health Crisis Ciara Smith, University of North Carolina at Pembroke; and Melanie Anne Escue , University of North Carolina at Pembroke
    Rural communities face significant challenges addressing addiction and poor mental health due to limited access to care, stigma, and geographic isolation. This research examines how non-profit organizations provide tools for combatting addiction and poor mental health in rural communities, like Robeson County, North Carolina. Specifically, this study focuses on two non-profit organizations, PAWSS Incorporated, which supports substance use recovery, and Spread da’ Luv, which advocates for safe spaces where students can explore their mental health needs and find community support. My role as a recovery ambassador with PAWSS and community advocate with Spread da’ Luv offers a first-hand look at how critical these organizations are in the lives of rural residents battling addiction and mental health issues in the poorest county in North Carolina. Findings will highlight the efficacy of peer mentorship, community engagement and advocacy, and culturally competent outreach in reducing stigma, increasing community connection, and empowering leaders to improve the well-being of all residents. Importantly, this study highlights the pressing need to put academia and community organizations in conversation to co-create tangible goals with meaningful outcomes that directly improve the lives of rural residents, especially those battling extreme poverty, limited healthcare access, and stigma.
  • To Police or Protect? Calling into Question the Legitimacy of Campus Police in the U.S. Rural South Savannah Brown, University of North Carolina at Pembroke; and Melanie Anne Escue , University of North Carolina at Pembroke
    Public perceptions of police have been shaped by mass media (Succar et al., 2024), current events involving police (the Black Lives Matter Movement – the killing of George Floyd, school shootings – Uvalde Elementary School), interactions with police (Maese & Lloyd, 2023), and the social environment in which one lives (Holmes, Painter, & Smith, 2017). Prior research has shown that there is a consistency in the lack of trust from college students toward campus police. This perception causes college students to believe that campus police are not as legitimate as municipal police (Jacobsen 2015). The current study engages a mixed-methods approach to examine the student perceptions of campus police in a small rural impoverished town in the U.S. Southeast. Survey questions address demographics, perceptions of police and campus police, and student needs and recommendations. Findings offer institutional recommendations for creating services and programs to support ties between campus police and the students they serve.
  • Unseen Scars and Silent Battles: The Mental Health Burden Veterans Carry Trey Watson, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
    Military veterans confront many issues transitioning back into civilian life. From battle exposure to social integration issues, to lack of access to mental healthcare services, veterans experience a myriad of mental health symptoms that impact their overall quality of life. Despite the mental health burden veterans carry, the stigma of seeking care keeps many suffering in silence. The current study leverages scholarship and the first author’s lived experience as a military veteran to draw attention to this pressing mental health crisis and unmet need. Findings offer directions for future research at the intersection of military studies and mental health. In addition, and importantly, findings reveal the pressing need to increase institutional support for programs, services, and interventions for veterans reintegrating back into civilian life both immediately and over their life-course.
  • Disaster Without End: Rethinking Homelessness and Displacement Shantija Francis, University of Louisiana
    Note: Abstracts for work to be done in the future. When we talk about disasters—as sociologists, scholars, storytellers—we often imagine sudden, spectacular ruptures: the storm hits, buildings burn, news cycles flounder. But what if we see homelessness, in all its forms, as a disaster that never ends? This paper argues that homelessness in the United States is not just a policy failure or unfortunate outcome—it is a structural catastrophe, a shock without end. Its textures are daily: loss of safety, warmth, belonging. Yet in these ravaged spaces, we encounter “textures of love”—lifelines of care, mutual aid born of necessity, and resilience that insists on living. For Indigenous peoples, being unhoused is not an anomaly—it is the afterlife of conquest. Colonial dispossession is not a rupture, but a structure that renders home unattainable. Homelessness is landlessness rooted not only in policy, but in settler state violence. For Black communities, homelessness is the wake of the Middle Passage and enslavement. Displacement is not episodic—it is a mode of being, manifesting in redlining, prisons, eviction. Homelessness is the residue of racial capitalism, built into walls, policies, and gentrified exclusion. But the story doesn’t end in despair. In underground circuits—church basements, sidewalks, campfires—love persists. Recovery, often outside institutions, emerges through land reclamation, sovereignty, and naming belonging in communities that refuse disappearance. Seeing homelessness as a disaster without end shifts our sociological gaze beyond rupture toward a continuum of loss, love, and survival.
  • Housing Tenure and Safe Drinking Water Access: An Analysis of Predictors of Water Source Choices in the USA Households
    Using data from the 2015 American Housing Survey (AHS) and multinomial logistic regression, this study analyzes predictors of drinking water source reliance among 14,217 U.S. households. Contrary to prior emphasis on housing tenure (Rosinger et al. 2018; Mohai et al. 2009), racial identity—particularly among Asian households—emerged as the strongest predictor, surpassing tenure, building type, or socioeconomic status. Renters showed higher bottled water use, but this association was insignificant when accounting for race and socioeconomics. Regional and infrastructural factors (e.g., building type) had no significant effects. Results highlight cultural and racial dynamics, rather than geographic or systemic factors, as key to water mistrust disparities. Policymakers should prioritize culturally informed strategies to improve trust in municipal water systems, especially for marginalized groups. Limitations include cross-sectional data and self-reporting biases.
  • Active Learning and Its Impact on Academic Success Among Minoritized Students Jas Harris, Tuskegee University; and Vivian Carter, Tuskegee University
    Educational research increasingly critiques the traditional "banking model," which emphasizes passive knowledge transfer, in favor of active learning strategies that promote meaningful student engagement. This study examines the integration of active learning methodologies and equity-focused initiatives within data science education, utilizing the Data 100 course at the University of California, Berkeley as a case study. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess the impact of the active learning platform Slido on synchronous and asynchronous student engagement, and (2) evaluate the influence of the Data Scholars Program on the academic performance of minoritized students. The Data Scholars Program supports minoritized students by fostering community and providing targeted resources within data science education. The research methodology involved analyzing Slido participation data, program involvement records, and final course grades from a representative cohort of students enrolled in Data 100.
  • The Failed Promise of School Integration: Revisiting the Legacy of Brown V. Board of Education Isaiah Bass, University of North Carolina-Pembroke; and Melanie Anne Escue , University of North Carolina at Pembroke
    Years after the Landmark Case of Brown V. Board of Education (1954), the U.S. school system remains divided. Despite ruling segregation unconstitutional, segregation practices continue today – deeply impacting minority students nationwide. This study offers a case overview of Brown V. Board of Education and related cases that reveal the ongoing struggle for integration in U.S. society today. Both historical and contemporary cases will highlight the structural, political, and social barriers to complete integration in the K-12 school system and in higher education. Specifically, this study analyzes related cases like the Parents Involved in Community Schools V. Seattle School District 1 (2007) and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. V. President and Fellows Harvard 600 U.S. _ (2023) to highlight the ongoing struggle for equal inclusion, resources, and admission for minority students. The first author aspires to generate new conversations between community members, educators, and policymakers to address the ongoing barriers for all students to achieve a fair and accessible education in the U.S.
27. Culture and Gender
Friday | 11:00 am-12:15 pm | Hampton Terrace 3A
  • Inconspicuous vs. Conspicuous Consumption: Alcohol, Class, and Cultural Performance in Country and Rap Jeremy A Ross, Jacksonville State University; and Tina Deshotels, Jacksonville State University
    This paper examines the contrasting cultural constructions of alcohol consumption in rap and country music by analyzing lyrics sampled from 1990 to 2024, including 35 rap songs and 45 country songs. We found rap features conspicuous consumption—the spectacle of the extra-ordinary—emphasizing branded liquor, luxury club scenes, and hyper-visible displays of wealth and excess. In contrast, country music highlights inconspicuous consumption—the spectacle of the ordinary—where alcohol is tied to red Solo cups, backwoods bonfires, wooden barstools, and domestic rituals that elevate the invisibility of the “ordinary man” through rural masculinity and working-class identity. We argue that both genres employ spectacle, but in contrasting ways: rap foregrounds urban struggle and capitalist aspiration through excess and the hyper-visible extra-ordinary, while country romanticizes rural life through camouflage, nostalgia, and the inconspicuous invisibility of the ordinary. Rather than oppositional, these spectacles serve parallel ideological functions—offering narratives of coping, belonging, and identity shaped by race, class, gender, and geography, as consumption practices integrate the group and build kinship.
  • The LGBTQIA+ Tattoo: Stories of Identity, Affiliation, and Restoration Jerome Koch, Texas Tech University; and Patricia Maloney, Texas Tech University
    While it has become widely obvious that the incidence and acquisition of tattoos has risen dramatically since the 1950’s, the escalation of usage has varied by social groups. Initial prominence among military veterans, biker gangs, inmates and the like has given way to include professional men and women, athletes, and even those who are strongly religious. Pew Research has recently documented the incidence and acquisition among those who identify as LGBTQIA+ is far more prominent and persistent than the general levels of increase across age and social groups. This project seeks to examine the manner and extent to which acquiring and wearing a tattoo is connected specifically to LGBTQIA+ identity. Using a snowball sample of adults, we use qualitative analysis to report stories suggesting tattoos are, ordinally: Irrelevant, Incidental, Tangential, and/or Constitutive of self-identity. Categorically, these tattoos reveal stories of Identity, Affiliation, and Restoration. Results are interpreted in light of previous research documenting the distinctive connection between tattoos and identity among subcultures and the explicitly religious.
  • Exploring the Experiences of Lesbians, Queer Women, and Non-Binary Individuals in LGBTQ+ Spaces: An Examination of Inclusivity and Navigation in the Absence of Lesbian-Centered Venues
28. Graduate Research
Friday | 11:00 am-12:15 pm | Sesame
  • Divided by Belief: Political Ideology and Trust in Technology as a Climate Solution Maliha Mahbub, University of North Texas
    This study investigates the relationship between political ideology and trust in technology advances as climate change solutions. Grounded in Information-Processing Theory (Wood & Vedlitz, 2007), my analysis emphasizes that individuals perceive climate change through cognitive processes influenced by political values and beliefs. Data were drawn from the National Surveys on Energy and the Environment (2008–2017), a nationally representative opinion survey on climate and energy policy. Political ideology, an independent variable, was contrasted with the dependent variable, which is trust in technology to solve climate issues. Chi-square tests and linear regression models were used to evaluate correlations following data cleaning. The findings indicate statistically significant relationships (p-values < 0.05) between political views and technological trust. When it comes to scientific and technical advancement, liberals are consistently more optimistic, whereas conservatives are more skeptical and advocate for market-based solutions. Even though regression analysis can only explain 6.42 percent of the variation, the results show that climate solutions are politicized and it is challenging to convince everyone to agree on something. The study's shortcomings, such as the dataset's breadth and variable limits, are discussed in the paper's conclusion, which also recommends adding more demographic variables and updated surveys to future studies.
  • Mobility and the American Dream: Intergenerational Shifts in Education, Occupation, and Belief in Hard Work Waris Ahmad Faizi, Virginia Tech
    This paper examines how intergenerational mobility in the United States has evolved over the past half-century and how these changes shape cultural beliefs in the American Dream. Using data from the General Social Survey (1972–2024), I construct measures of both educational mobility (respondent’s years of schooling relative to father’s) and occupational mobility (respondent’s occupational prestige relative to father’s). Preliminary findings indicate a long-term decline in educational mobility, with later cohorts experiencing smaller gains over their parents. Occupational mobility also varies across cohorts, with evidence of weakening upward mobility in recent generations. Regression analyses show that occupational mobility continues to predict higher income, even after accounting for education and demographics, indicating its enduring role in economic attainment. Mobility also carries cultural significance. Respondents with upward occupational mobility are more likely to believe that success comes from hard work, while upward educational mobility is weakly associated with diminished belief in this narrative. Beliefs in meritocracy are further stratified: women are more likely than men to endorse hard work, whereas racial minorities and older respondents are less likely to do so. Overall, mobility sustains belief in the American Dream, but its reach and meaning have shifted across generations and social groups.
  • Curated Realities: Algorithmic Bias and Youth Engagement Across Popular Media Platforms Vaun Baltimore, Middle Tennessee State University
    This study examines algorithmic media curation across TikTok, Netflix, and YouTube, with a focus on how platform personalization shapes adolescent content exposure. Through a comparative analysis of simulated user engagement, the research explores five key methodological dimensions: Content Categorization, Algorithmic Pattern Analysis, Bias Indicators in Algorithmic Personalization, Monetization Influence, and Engagement Dynamics. These lenses reveal how recommendation systems amplify certain narratives while marginalizing others, often reinforcing demographic and behavioral stereotypes.
  • We’re Guessing: The Data Crisis in Maternal Mortality Research in the United States Cassie Sistoso, Middle Tennessee State University
    This paper critiques the failures of data collection in maternal mortality research, showing how fragmented reporting systems and inconsistent methodologies distort the realities of maternal death in the United States. Reliance on Maternal Mortality Review Committees reinforces the problem through faulty data collection and unorganized standards for what accounts for maternal deaths. By exposing these limitations, the paper calls for committees and federal powers to examine and re-order how the process is handled, and how resources are distributed.
29. Generative AI: Teaching and Scholarship [Workshop]
Friday | 2:00 pm-3:15 pm | 1906

Organizer: Kimberly Michelle Murray, Texas A&M University Texarkana
Presider: Kimberly Michelle Murray, Texas A&M University Texarkana
  • Understanding Faculty and Administrative Perspectives on Generative AI at a Regional University Kimberly Michelle Murray, Texas A&M University Texarkana
    A survey was conducted to determine administrator, faculty, and student perspectives on generative AI (GenAI) at a regional university in Texas. This presentation sociologically explores GenAI’s impact on the faculty role and at the institutional level, highlighting differences in administrative and faculty viewpoints. Although I use a sociological perspective to discuss social institutions, statuses, and roles regarding GenAI and higher education, this paper can be seen as helpful from an interdisciplinary standpoint, as I describe common issues, questions, and practicalities facing university professors and administrators.
  • "This is What Kills the Joy in Teaching”: Understanding Artificial Intelligence in Academia using r/Professors Amanda Heitkamp, Troy University; Emilie Wiedenmeyer, Troy University; and Andrew Tatch, Troy University
    As artificial intelligence (AI) tools become increasingly prevalent in everyday life, their impact on higher education has sparked intense discussion. The current study explores how university and college educators discuss AI-related issues using posts from the subreddit r/Professors. Qualitative analysis of posts from a 30-day period revealed four interrelated themes: (1) Help-seeking, (2) Proposing solutions, (3) Ways students use AI and how to “police” it, and (4) Professors’ perspectives on the impact of AI in higher education. Many posts expressed uncertainty, frustration, and demoralization as faculty attempt to navigate student AI use, which they often perceive as dishonest and potentially destabilizing to academia. While some sought or offered strategies to mitigate student AI use or integrate AI constructively, many lamented their growing role as "AI police," a shift that strains relationships with students and undermines morale. Overall, faculty expressed a sense of urgency: Higher education must adapt to AI or risk losing credibility. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how educators perceive, experience, and respond to AI’s rapidly growing role in academia.
Discussant:
  • Kimberly Michelle Murray, Texas A&M University Texarkana;
30. Undergraduate Research
Friday | 2:00 pm-3:15 pm | Sesame
  • Addressing the Decline of Men in Higher Education: The Experiences of Men in College in the U.S. Rural South Ronnie Williams, pembroke; and Melanie Anne Escue , University of North Carolina at Pembroke
    Since 1980, male college enrollment has steadily decreased nationwide, with recent data showing men making up only 40% of college students nationally. In North Carolina, the average male enrollment at UNC system colleges stands at 43%. The current study focuses on the experiences and needs of male college students enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP), where male college enrollment is only 38%. Located in Robeson County, the poorest county in the state, UNCP is home to many rural, impoverished, and first-generation students. For men in the rural south, economic distress, limited exposure to college-educated role models, and cultural tensions between home communities and academic environments create additional barriers. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, this study combines demographic information, Likert-scale assessments, and open-ended questions to holistically evaluate the experiences and needs of male college students at UNCP. Findings advance scholarship and offer institutional recommendations for implementation of support systems, programming and services aimed at improving the admission, retention, and success of male college students at the university.
  • Collard Wraps, Grape Ice Cream, Ribbon Skirts—Oh My! Growing Up Lumbee Michaela Locklear-Bass, UNC Pembroke
    This presentation combines photography and storytelling to illustrate the experience of growing up as a Lumbee in Robeson County, North Carolina. Drawing from personal narrative and the context of history, culture, and social challenges, the author highlights the realities of poverty, lack of access to essentials, and limited opportunities for social mobility and how these shape the lives of Lumbee people. Audience members will join a photo journey into the historical and current challenges faced by this native tribe, like the resistance against the Ku Klux Klan, the legacy of Henry Berry Lowry, and their continuous fight for federal recognition. Additionally, issues of education, public health, and the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) will be explored. Despite these challenges, the beauty of culture and celebration of Lumbee identity will be showcased by images of many events like Lumbee Homecoming, community talking circles, spirituality, and even through agriculture. By employing the photo story method, the author aims to raise awareness of the challenges and resilience of the Lumbee community as they continue in the pursuit of federal recognition, justice, and cultural preservation.
  • Youth Political Engagement: A Review of Theoretical Frameworks Jaycob Beasley, Tuskegee University
    Political participation among young adults is vital for maintaining a healthy democracy, as they have the potential to significantly influence voting patterns and shape policy decisions. Despite this, voter turnout among young adults remains alarmingly low, with many feeling disconnected from the political process. This phenomenon is particularly concerning, as it can have long-term implications for the functioning of democratic institutions. The primary research question guiding this study centers around determining: "What sociological factors influence political engagement among young adults?” Therefore, this study proposes to identify those factors that influence political engagement of young adults. The Specific Aim of the proposed study is to design and evaluate the effectiveness of a model to educate and engage young voters in discussions about the significance of voting at a time when voter suppression is increasingly common. The objective of the study is to enhance youth participation in civic discussions and encourage involvement in politics via voting. To achieve the objective, volunteers are trained to administer the education intervention and follow-up with participants to determine the level of voter participation. The study will partner with local NAACP chapters and Tuskegee University R.I.S.E organization to recruit volunteers and local study participants.
  • Media and its Influence on Death Penalty Opinions Sophia Revis, samford
    This research project investigates the connection between negative media consumption and death penalty opinions. Mean World Syndrome and Cultivation Theory are operationalized through Fox News consumption variables. Fox News has been shown to report without hiding biases, twist news to fit personal viewpoints, and disproportionately report negatively on minorities. Data from the 2020 American National Election Studies Time Series Study was used to create a logistic regression and analyze the variables. The hypothesis was supported, meaning that the more negative media a person consumes, the more likely they are to support the death penalty. The research presented in this paper found that Fox presents a version of the world that’s more threatening than the reality of daily life, thus creating fear and punitive attitudes in viewers, making them more likely to support the death penalty.






Index to Participants

ADEMULE, DAVID OLUWASHINA: 6
Aduko, Beatrice: 5
Ainsworth, James: 4
alasaly, shahd: 4
Baker, Mary Kate : 13
Baktybekova, Zhibek: 6
Baltimore, Vaun: 16 , 28
Bass, Isaiah: 26
Beasley, Jaycob: 30
Bledsoe-Gardner, Anita: 24
Brooks, Marcus: 15
Brown, Savannah: 26
Carter, Vivian: 26
Chakma, Basu Mittra: 14
Chananie, Ruth: 15
Christian, Ollie: 7
Chtouris, Sotirios: 19
Church, Jacob: 9
Cong, Weilong: 6
Cordova, Diego: 15
Crawford, Destiney: 25
Crawford, Katrice: 18 , 25
Davidson, Theresa : 13
Davis, Stephen: 15
Deshotels, Tina: 27
Donley, Sarah Beth: 10
Elwell, Frank: 18
Escue, Melanie Anne : 1 , 2 , 26 , 30
Faizi, Waris Ahmad: 28
Francis, Shantija: 26
Gordon, Asa: 8
Harris, Jas: 26
Hasan, Naim Bin: 14
Hassan, Md. Jahid: 4
Heitkamp, Amanda: 29
Ibacik, Alican: 5
Islam, Md Shihabul: 14
Isom, Deena: 5
James, Tierra: 15
Khan, Bayezid: 4
Kizziah, Abigail: 5
Koch, Jerome: 27
Kozlarek, Oliver: 8
Kunwar, Ashra: 13
Leggon, Cheryl: 18
Lehman, Brett: 5 , 21
Lindl, Hannah: 10
Locklear-Bass, Michaela: 30
Lott, Addie: 9
Mahbub, Maliha: 28
Maloney, Patricia: 6 , 27
Marcus, Greg: 6
Martin, Autumn Rena: 4
May, David C. : 6
McGrath, Shelly: 15
Miller, DeMond: 19 , 24
Miller, Julian: 19
Murray, Kimberly Michelle: 29
Oladimeji, Abolade: 10
Padgett, Aaron: 13
Parker, Keith: 8
Paulk, Kirstin: 21
Pearson, Jr., Willie: 18
Pilkington, Sassy: 10
Rahn, Jennifer: 13
Revis, Sophia: 30
Roseboro, Ashla H.: 18
Ross, Jeremy A: 27
Schneider, Matthew Jerome: 13
Shrum, Wesley Monroe: 20
Sims, Jennifer Patrice: 12
Sistoso, Cassie: 28
Smith, Ciara: 26
Sweeney, Katherine: 20
Tahsan, Fahim: 14
Tao, Yu: 18
Tatch, Andrew: 29
Tran, Jade: 15
Turgeon, Brianna: 9
Veitch, Stanley Adam: 15
Waid, Courtney: 5
Wallace, Benjamin: 20
Walsh, Darrell: 4
Watson, Trey: 26
Wiedenmeyer, Emilie: 29
Williams, Ronnie: 30
Wright II, Earl: 24
Zhang, Meng: 6