I received my PhD in sociology with a certificate in women’s studies and gender research from the University of Florida in 2007. I am a qualitative feminist sociologist with a broad interest in the social construction of gender, sexualities, and families. My empirical research explores timely and provocative issues with the intention of advancing the depth and breadth of existing social theories. Previous projects have included ethnographies of a drag queen subculture and of adult novelty shops, and an extensive interview based study of gay men’s reproductive decision-making and fathering experiences. I am currently beginning a new project that explores how gender becomes written on the body through non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as Botox. I teach sociology of gender, introduction to women’s studies, men & masculinities and graduate seminars in sociology of families and qualitative methods. I design my courses as a catalyst for students to move beyond the role of passive observer toward an active sociological scholar of social, historical, and cultural processes. My courses are challenging but I guarantee that they are also quite fun. I am eager to recruit students who are willing to participate in scholarship that broadens our sense of what is possible.

 

PhD: University of Florida, 2007