Current Courses

Spring 2025

  • HSP 5000-001
    HSP Capstone
  • SOC 3673-001
    Social Epidemiology
  • SOC 6930-005
    Comprehensive Area Exam
  • SOC 7910-005
    Research Project

Fall 2024

Courses I Teach

  • SOC 3673 - Social Epidemiology
    A course on the social determinants of health, with special emphasis on how inequalities (race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender and sexuality, and more) shape health outcomes. Topics include the social distribution of stressors, social support, and coping mechanisms; the role of neighborhood and environmental contexts; and current issues such as COVID-19, the opioid epidemic, and the mental health crisis among American youth.
  • HSP 5000 - Health, Society & Policy Capstone
    The capstone course is the final requirement of the HSP degree. It is intended to provide a signature and unifying experience for all HSP majors. The capstone gives students an opportunity to integrate their learning from a multidisciplinary degree into the discussion of a single theme or topic. Each year, a different topic or theme is selected. A series of guest speakers representing different disciplines and industries speak about the theme during our class meetings. Recent capstone topics have included mental health, technology & health care, families & health, health care reform, and food justice. This year's topic (Spring 2024) is wildfires.
  • SOC 3020 - Social Psychology
    [Syllabus in progress: A final course description will be posted by Fall 2024.]

Student Mental Health

As a sociologist of mental health, I have an active interest in addressing the mental health of college students here at the U. Across the United States, rates of mental health challenges among students, including major depression and suicidal thoughts, have risen dramatically in the last decade. As the first point of contact for students, it is our job as instructors to serve as a compassionate resource for students and to refer them to care if needed. I have attempted to provide guidance for instructors with this article, "Mental Health in the College Classroom: Best Practices for Instructors."

If you are my student, please know that your well-being is, and should be, a top priority. Please reach out to me if you feel like mental health challenges are getting in the way of your studies. Although I am not a clinician, I can help you get in touch with counseling resources and we can talk about strategies for coursework.