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Fall 2014 Volume 8, Issue 1

Sociology Department

Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs

Welcome to our 6 New Graduate Students

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

New Department Chair .................... .2

Faculty News ................................... .2

Rebecca Schewe .............................. .3

Gretchen Purser .............................. .3

Grad Student News .......................... .4

SSSP ................................................ .4

Grad Student Publications ............... .4

Faculty Publications……...…............. .4

ASA Presentations………..………..….....5

BA Alumni News………………………..….6

Graduate Alumni News…………...…….6

Marj DeVault…………………...……….....6

Sari Biklen…………………...………….…..7

Tara Slater……………..……………….……7

Roseanna Benser

Minneapolis, MN

Cassie Dutton

North Olmsted, OH

Polina Ermoshkina

Russian Federation Dorothy Kou

Round Lake, IL

Mary Pagan

Syracuse, NY Samantha Shelton

Honesdale, PA

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Prema Kurien, Arthur Paris, Gretchen Purser, and Rebecca Schewe received Appleby-

Mosher grants from the Maxwell School to further their research.

Madonna Harrington Meyer was quoted in the Boston Globe, 9/30/14, for her new book, Grand-

mothers at Work, NYU Press.

Andrew London is the new Graduate Director. He has also been elected chair of the Youth, Aging,

and Life Course Division of SSSP for 2014-2016.

Amy Lutz is the new Undergraduate Director. Amy was interviewed by WRVO about bringing the un-

accompanied minors from Central America to Syracuse.

Yingyi Ma was featured in the recent article, for SU News (07/24/14): "Sociology Professor Looks at

the International Student Experience." In the article, Ma discusses her latest research and ways in which

her work is helping institutions think about the best experience for their international students. Yingyi is

researching the experience of Chinese undergraduate students on American campuses and looking at

how colleges and universities can embrace a more “two-way street” of adaptation, as institutions enroll

increasing numbers of international students. Her article “The Right Time to Study Abroad” was pub-

lished in China Daily.com.cn. Yingyi was elected to serve a 3-year term as Co-Chair of East Asia SIG of

Comparative and International Education Society.

Jackie Orr gave a public talk “Slow Disaster at the Digital Edge” for Goldsmiths, University of London

as part of the June week-long Live Transmissions: Critical Conversations about Crafting, Performing,

and Making. Jackie is one of 10 faculty members on the Democratizing Knowledge Project which has

been awarded a four-year $500,000 grant from the Andrew Mellon Foundation to fund a series of sum-

mer institutes titled Just Academic Spaces: Creating New Publics through Radical Literacies.

Merril Silverstein was elected Vice President of the Research Committee on Aging of the Internation-

al Sociological Association.

Janet Wilmoth has been elected as the secretary/treasurer for the Behavioral and Social Sciences Sec-

tion of GSA.

MADONNA HARRINGTON MEYER

NEW DEPARTMENT CHAIR

On July 1st Madonna Harrington

Meyer took over as the new chair

of the Sociology Department fol-

lowing Christine Himes who left

for Illinois Technical Institute.

Madonna, a Meredith Professor

of Teaching Excellence is a Facul-

ty Associate in the Aging Studies

Institute and a Senior Research

Affiliate in the Center for Policy

Research. Previously she was the

graduate director.

Madonna has been chosen by the

Gerontological Society of America

(GSA) to receive the 2014 Rich-

ard Kalish Innovative Publication

Award for her recently published

book, Grandmothers at Work:

Juggling Families and Jobs, NYU

Press. Madonna is a GSA fellow,

which represents the Society’s

highest class of membership. She

received this award at the GSA’s

Annual Scientific Meeting in No-

vember in D.C.

Faculty News

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HIGHLIGHTING GRETCHEN PURSER

Gretchen Purser’s book manuscript, Labor On Demand: Dispatch-

ing the Urban Poor, has been selected as the winner of the 2014

International Book Award from, and will be published by, the Cali-

fornia Series in Public Anthropology (University of California

Press). Each year the Series highlights a particular problem in its

international call for manuscripts. The focus of this year’s competi-

tion was INEQUALITY IN AMERICA.

Gretchen was interviewed in September for the hour-long program

“Against the Grain” on Pacifica Radio’s KPFA-FM out of Berkeley.

Against the Grain: a Program about Politics, Society and Ideas is

a radio and web media program whose aim is to provide in-depth

analysis and commentary on a variety of matters - political, eco-

nomic, social and cultural - important to progressive and radical

thinking and activism.”

Gretchen received co-curricular and ilearn funds to help with costs

for her special screening of The Throwaways, a new documentary

on the impact of mass incarceration.

Gretchen gave birth to Everett Milo Purser-Nissim on Oct. 8th

weighing 8 lbs., 2 ounces.

Congratulations to Gretchen!

WELCOME TO REBECCA SCHEWE

Rebecca Schewe joined the faculty of the Sociology Department in August

as an Assistant Professor. She received her Ph.D. from the University of

Wisconsin-Madison. She is an environmental and natural resource

sociologist, focused primarily on the environmental impacts of agriculture

and rural communities. Her research examines how regulation, the

economy, and social communities structure our human interactions with

ecosystems.

Becky is teaching SOC 318, Introduction to Research this fall and will

teach the same course in the spring along with a graduate seminar, SOC

800, Environmental Sociology.

426 Eggers Hall, x9894 rlschewe@maxwell.syr.edu

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GRADUATE

STUDENT NEWS

Marcus Bell and Yan

Liu have passed their

comprehensive exams.

Tracy Peterchak suc-

cessfully defended her

dissertation proposal

“Dollar Store Economy:

Low-Wage Labor and the

Impoverished Worker/

Frugal Consumer Rela-

tionship.” Jackie Orr is

the chair of her commit-

tee.

Natalie Simpson suc-

cessfully defended her

dissertation proposal

“Families Designed

Through Art: Exploring

Embodied Experience

and Conception Disclo-

sure Based on Sexual and

Gender Identity.” Janet

Wilmoth is the chair of

her committee.

Carrie Roseamelia is

the associate director of

Upstate Medical Univer-

sity’s RMED program

(Rural Medical Educa-

tion) and she was a co-

principal investigator of

the Student Photo Re-

search Project. The pro-

ject explored how train-

ing in a rural community

changed the students’

perspectives of medicine

and the commonalities

across the students’ expe-

riences.

SOCIOLOGY PRESENCE AT THE SSSP

ANNUAL MEETING—AUGUST 2014

Ynesse Abdul-Malak with ZS Mezaros, DJ Zaccarini, TO Ajagbe and

I Coman, “Smoking Severity and Functional MRI Results in Schizo-

phrenia: A Case –Series.” Journal of Addiction and Research Therapy.

Angie Mejia with K.E. Zuckerman, B. Sinche, M.Cobain, M. Cervan-

tes, T. Becker and C. Nicolaidis, “Conceptualization of Autism in the

Latino Community and its Relationship with Early Diagnosis.” Journal

of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics.

Yasmin Ortiga, “Professional Problems: The Burden of Producing the

‘Global’ Filipino Nurse.” Social Science & Medicine; and

“Multiculturalism on Its Head: Unexpected Boundaries and New Mi-

gration in Singapore.” Migration and Immigration.

Kelly Szott, “Contingencies of the Will: Uses of Harm Reduction and

the Disease Model of Addiction among Health Care Practitioners.”

Health.

Professor Andrew London was

the presider at the session: Safety

Net Policies Across the Life

Course.

Graduate Student Yasmin Ortiga

presented: “Professional Prob-

lems: The Burden of Educating

the Global Filipino Nurse” which

was the winner of the Health,

Health Policy, and Health Ser-

vices Division’s Student Paper

Competition.

Lauren Eastwood, Ph.D.’02

was the discussant for the ses-

sion: The Organization of Trans-

Local/Global Governance, Law

and Policy.

Frank Ridzi, PhD ‘03 was the

organizer & presider at the Ses-

sion: Community Coalitions and

Collective Impacts to Address

Poverty.

FACULTY PUBLICATIONS

GRADUATE STUDENT PUBLICATIONS

Andrew London & Janet Wilmoth, “Extramarital Relationships in

the Context of Spousal Alzheimer’s Disease: A Mixed Methods Explora-

tion of Public Attitudes,” Contemporary Perspectives in Family Re-

search.

Rebecca Schewe with Diana Stuart, Diversity in Agricultural Tech-

nology Adoption: How are Automatic Milking Systems Used and to

What End?” Agriculture and Human Values.

Janet Wilmoth, Andrew London & Maria Brown, “Military Service

and Men’s Later Life Cognitive Trajectories: Evidence from the Health

and Retirement Study.” Journal of Aging and Health.

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Marjorie DeVault, Panelist, Thematic Session, Hard Times in the Kitchens

Dawn Dow, Session Organizer , Them atic Session, Fragile Middle Class and Hard Times

Madonna Harrington Meyer, Session Organizer & Presenter , Them atic Session. Grandpar-

ents Pitching in During Hard Times, paper: “Grandma’s Financial Contributions during Hard Times”

Christine Himes, Table Presider, Section on Sociology of Population Roundtable Session,

Demographic Transitions and Aging

Prema Kurien, Table Presider, Section on Sociology of Religion Roundtable, Imm igration

and Religion

Andrew London and Janet Wilmoth, Presenters, “Veteran Status and Paid Sex Among American

Men: Results from Three National Surveys”

Amy Lutz, Presenter, “College Funds and Transit Passes: Class Differences in Parents' Social Network Re-

sources and Utilization” with Pamela Bennett and Lakshmi Jayaram

Rebecca Schewe, Presenter, “Possible, Adaptable, Gainful: Normative and Political Economic Barriers to

Adopting Agricultural Climate Change Mitigation Practices”

Merril Silverstein, Presenter, “Time and Money Trade-offs in Grandparents’ Support of their Children’s

Families: Differences by Ethnicity and Nativity,” and a panelist at the Thematic Session, Extended and In-

tergenerational Relations in Hard Times

Kelly Szott, Presenter , “Meanings of PTSD in Contemporary Life: A Social Contructionist Exami-

nation of Recent Veterans’ Experiences” with Alex Bennett and Ernest Drucker

Tre Wentling, Co-Leader of the Teaching Workshop, Teaching Trans*/Genderqueer Issues

FACULTY PRESENTATIONS AT ASA

GRADUATE STUDENT PRESENTATIONS AT ASA

ALUMNI PRESENTATIONS AT ASA

Liat Ben-Moshe ‘11 Session Organizer, Section on Disability and Society, Paper Session, Disability and

Society: Resistance and Resiliency During Hard Times

Amy Best ‘98 Critic, Author Meets Critics Session, The Stickup Kids: Race, Drugs, Violence, and the

American Dream by Randall Contreras, and a Session Organizer, Regular Session, Applied Social

Research/Evaluation

Fumilayo Showers ‘13 Presenter, “Being Black, Foreign, and Woman: African Immigrant Identities in

the United States”

Karyn Stewart ‘13 Section on Medical Sociology Roundtable, Table on Maternal Health, Presented “A

Balanced Weight: Explaining the Nativity Gap in Low Birth Weight Among Black Women”

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BA ALUMNI NEWS

Jenna DeMarco ‘11 is a busi-

ness services trainee in admin-

istration at Latham & Watkins

in NYC.

Patricia Leon-Guerrero ‘04

is the managing director of Lati-

no engagement and partner-

ships for Teach For America.

Previously she was an Ameri-

Corps member and earned her

MA degree in Elementary Edu-

cation. She came to the Maxwell

School in October as part of a

panel on Teach for America that

was part of the 90th Anniver-

sary celebration.

Elli Meliti ‘84 is a sales direc-

tor at Commercial Activity in

Greece. She owns a store selling

crystal, glassware and everyday

jewelry. She has two children

who are University students in

England.

David Trotman-Wilkins ‘90

is a Senior Photo Editor in the

editorial, photography division

of Newsday Newspaper in Mel-

ville, NY.

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GRADUATE ALUMNI NEWS

Margaret Abraham, ‘89 is the President of the International Socio-

logical Association. She is a professor of Sociology at Hofstra Universi-

ty.

Bobby Mills ‘76 published a book, Transcending the Color Line: The

Sociology of Black Experience in America, Morgan James. Bobby is

an advocate for historically black colleges and universities and taught

college level sociology for over 35 years. In the book Bobby blends the-

ological and sociological concepts to creatively address the pressing

social issues plaguing American society.

Cathy Richards Solomon ‘04 has been promoted to Full Professor

and Department Chair of Sociology at Quinnipiac University in Cam-

den, CT.

Linda Waldron ‘02 was awarded the Professor of the Year at Christo-

pher Newport University in VA. She credits SU’s Future Professoriate

Program and her wonderful mentoring in the sociology department for

her easy transition to a full-time academic position.

Lynne Woehrle, ‘95 of Mount Mary University edited Intersectional-

ity and Social Change. It is volume 37 in the Research in Social Move-

ments, Conflict and Change series. The volume explores the question,

what can the insights of intersectionality studies contribute to our quest

to understand and analyze social movements, conflict and change?

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SARI KNOPP BIKLEN 1946-2014

IN LOVING MEMORY

Sari Knopp Biklen, professor emerita of the cultural founda-

tion of education and women’s studies at Syracuse University, died on

September 16. She was 68 years old.

Dr. Biklen retired from the university in May 2014 after 38 years of ser-

vice. During her tenure she served as chair of the department of Cul-

tural Foundations of Education and was the director of the Institute for

Popular Culture, Media Literacy, and Education. Prior to joining the

faculty at Syracuse University, she was an assistant professor of sociolo-

gy and anthropology and director of the women’s studies program at

Cazenovia College in New York.

Professor Biklen was the author or co-author of several books including

School Work: Gender and the Cultural Construction of Teaching

(Teachers College Press, 1995).

Dr. Biklen was a graduate of Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana,

where she majored in English. She held a master’s degree and an edu-

cational doctorate from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

WELCOME TO TARA SLATER

Tara joined the department as Secretary/Office Coordinator on October

16th replacing Kim Canino who left to take the position of Administrative

Assistant to the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.at S.U.

Tara was born and raised in Syracuse and graduated from Niagara

University in Niagara Falls with a degree in Travel and Tourism and

Communications. After college she traveled the world working on cruise

ships as a social hostess (she calls a mean game of Bingo!) for a few years

before deciding to settle on land. She picked the crazy island of Key West,

Florida to be her next home working in various facets in the tourism

industry, enjoying the characters and charm of “Margaritaville” for 9

years . After meeting her husband Renzo in Miami shortly after he landed

from Lima, Peru they decided they were ready to trade the humid summers

for 4 seasons so they moved back to the Syracuse area after a fabulous

wedding located at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse (“I Do at the

Zoo!”) and settled in Camillus, NY. Tara loves meeting new people,

reading and writing, her family, the Muppets and Oprah (but not in that

order)... She’s very excited for this next phase in her life and to be a part of

the SU family!