News
Anthropology
- Dr. Ben Steere has been selected by the Society for Georgia Archaeology as editor of its quarterly newsletter The Profile. Steere will also oversee SGA website content and select items for publication. Read more.
- Through its Waring Endowment, the Department of Anthropology is hosting renowned archaeologist Dr. Ted Goebel as the 2013 Waring Distinguished Lecturer. Goebel’s talk “Ice Age Peopling of the Americas: Do Stones, Bones, and Genes Tell the Same Story,” will explore the question of who the first Americans were and why they came to the “new world” during the Ice Age. Toward answering these questions, Goebel examines three lines of evidence: archaeological, physical and genetic records. Feb. 28, 2013, 7 p.m. in Kathy Cashen Hall (open to the community).
- Dr. Ashley M. Smallwood, assistant professor of Anthropology and director of the Antonio J. Waring, Jr. Archaeological Laboratory, authored “Clovis Technology and Settlement in the American Southeast: Using Biface Analysis to Evaluate Dispersal Models” in the journal American Antiquity. The article analyzes southeastern Clovis point data and biface assemblages from three sites to test two suggested models of Clovis settlement
- Dr. Kerriann Marden, assistant professor of Anthropology and director of the Biological and Forensic Anthropology Laboratory, co-authored a chapter in the recently published book Research Methods in Human Skeletal Biology. Marden’s chapter on taphonomy—“study of the postmortem processes”—explores perspectives and methodologies in taphonomic research as well as several case studies.
- Dr. Lisa Gezon’s insightful book Drug Effects: Khat in Biocultural and Socioeconomic Perspective explores the role of khat—a shrub native to East Africa and southern Arabia with leaves that are chewed for psychoactive effects—in Madagascar’s culture, politics, economy and environment. Reviews of Gezon’s work suggest her innovative cultural medical anthropological approach, which involves in-depth ethnographic research from policy-makers down and users and producers up, reveals gaps and contradictions between these groups. A review published in the American Library Association’s Choice called the book “ambitious” and “impressive,” and a New Books Network reviewer said “the book is almost encyclopedic in its synthesis of the literature, the findings of her studies as well as her excellent and insightful analysis.”
Criminology
- The online B.S. program in Criminology was ranked #4 by U.S. News and World Report in the area of Faculty Credentials and Training. Check out the rankings.
- Criminology students who transfer to the University of West Georgia from West Georgia Technical College will get full credit for five basic courses thanks to a recent agreement signed by officials from both schools. Read more here.
Dean's Office
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The College of Social Sciences hosted its annual Research Day on March 13. Thirteen student researchers presented their projects and competed to move forward to present at the University’s annual student research Big Night. The top COSS student researchers were: Dominique Hollis, Anthropology--“English as a Language of Performance” (faculty sponsor: Dr. Lisa Gezon); Deborah Andrews, Sociology--“Education Reform: Does it Work?” (faculty sponsor: Dr. Neema Noori); Joshua Bryant Walker, Mass Communications—“Mirror Image” (faculty sponsor: Deon Kay).
Congratulations to the 2012 College of Social Sciences Faculty & Staff Award Winners!
- Outstanding Research Award – Dr. Lisa Gezon (Anthropology)
- Outstanding Service Award – Dr. Chris Aanstoos (Psychology)
- Outstanding Mentor Award – Dr. Brad Yates (Mass Communications)
- Outstanding Teaching Award – Dr. Sal Peralta (Political Science)
- Outstanding Junior Faculty Award – Dr. Amber Smallwood (Mass Communications)
- Outstanding Staff Member Award – Ms. Victoria Yang (Psychology) and Ms. Erin Brannon (Dean’s Office)
Mass Communications
- This year, the West Georgia chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America doubled its attendance at the annual PR Real World conference in Atlanta. The day-long event is organized and hosted by the Public Relations Society of America’s Georgia chapter—the second-largest chapter in the nation (behind New York City). UWG students learned from and networked with leading public relations professionals in the region, including Mickey Nall, managing director of Ogilvy PR and 2013 chairman and CEO of PRSA (national).
- The National Broadcasting Society-UWG chapter is a finalist for two awards in the 50th annual National Undergraduate Student Electronic Media Competition at the NBS-AERho National Convention. Christopher Adamson’s entry “The WOLF Imagining-Study” is one of three national finalists for an award in the Audio Station Imaging category.
- The WOLF Internet Radio received two prestigious 2012 Spirit of College Radio Awards and was selected as a finalist for “Station of the Year.” The WOLF was awarded “Best On-Air Programming” and “Best Community Outreach.” College Radio Day announced the winners Nov. 19. Judges described The WOLF as “fun, exciting, and creative,” and “The WOLF is a great model of how college radio can really make a difference.”
Political Science and Planning
- Dr. Hee-Jung Jun co-authored the article “Comprehensive Planning and Sustainability in Georgia’s Exurbs” published in the Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning. Jun and Conroy examined 22 metro-Atlanta area exurban plans and concluded Georgia's state-based comprehensive planning program enhances the sustainability scores of exurban plans but the plans do not provide balanced support of sustainability principles.
- Dr. George Kieh, professor of Political Science, was invited by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa to present his technical paper “The Roles of Institutions in the Development Process: Toward the Emergence and Functioning of a Developmental State in Africa.” During the same February 2013 trip, Kieh will serve as lead discussant for an international conference: The Developmental State: What Options for Africa.
- The Editorial Board of the South Carolina Historical Magazine has selected Associate Professor of Political Science Dr. Tom Hunter’s “Hastening the Demise of Federalism in the Low Country: South Carolina’s Congressional Gerrymander of 1802” as winner of the 2012 Malcolm C. Clark Award, which is presented annually by the South Carolina Historical Society to the author of the best article published in its South Carolina Historical Magazine.
- Assistant Professor of Political Science and Planning, Dr. Hee-Jung Jun, published an article in the journal Urban Affairs Review. Her research in “Determinants of Neighborhood Change: A Multilevel Analysis” analyzed changes in neighborhoods in 35 metropolitan areas from 1990-2000.
- Assistant professor of Political Science Dr. Paul Rutledge’s research on which political agendas lead and follow in the American political system was recently published in Congress & the Presidency. His co-authored article “Follow the Leader: Issue-Dependent Representation in American Political Institutions” finds Congress and the president are responsive to public concerns on several issues, but that the president’s agenda is more likely to influence, not reflect, public concerns.
- Dr. George Kieh recently published two books. Liberia's State Failure, Collapse and Reconstitution. The book offers a detailed analysis of the failure of Liberia’s historical and current state-building efforts. Dr. Georgia Kieh’s co-edited book West Africa and the U.S. War on Terror examines the role and position of the West African region in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.
Psychology
- Dr. Christine Simmonds-Moore was awarded a €47,500 grant from the BIAL Foundation to carry out her research project “Exploring the interactions between paranormal belief and disbelief and subjective experiences with the Shakti helmet.” Research on this project will begin after her current project, also funded by the BIAL Foundation, is completed.
- Combining scholarly achievement and service to humanity, Dr. Jeannette Diaz and Dr. Shea Rose (Geosciences) brought their interactive, interdisciplinary mapping project to Carrollton-area leaders for reflection and future directions. The researchers worked to change the perspective of focusing on community problems to engaging students in documenting and mapping community assets. The progressive Carrollton Assets Mapping Project draws from a database of various resources and assets in the City of Carrollton and uses GIS mapping technology to create interactive, layerable maps. Diaz and Rose are moving forward with community leaders to determine which assets and maps will be most useful for the Carrollton community.
- Dr. Lisa Osbeck received the Theodore Sarbin Award from the Society for Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology of the American Psychological Association in August 2012. The award recognizes individuals or bodies of work that demonstrates notable achievement in narrative psychology, contextualist theory, social psychological theories of hypnosis, or other innovative critical work.
- Dr. Jeannette Diaz and Dr. Sabrina Zirkel (Mills College) served as editors for a special issue of the Journal of Social Issues—“The Intersection of Psychology and Globalization.” The editors argue that a “clear understanding of globalization…, the social processes globalization engenders, and the impact of globalization on individuals and communities” can benefit the understanding of contemporary social issues. Diaz co-authored two articles in the special issue: “Globalization, Psychology, and Social Issues Research: An Introduction and Conceptual Framework” and “Globalization as Re-traumatization: Rebuilding Haiti from the Spirit Up.”
Sociology
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Where the Music Takes You: The Social Psychology of Music Subcultures, by Dr. Pam Hunt, assistant professor of Sociology and director of the Center for the Study of Social Dynamics, was recently published (preliminary edition). Her accessible and inviting book weaves an ethnographic account of the jamband music subculture with relevant sociological and methodological concepts.
- Katie McIntyre Reece, MA student, received a $10,000 grant from Policy Research, Inc. to continue her thesis research on how people with HIV/AIDS navigate through the process of receiving disability benefits. The Disability Determination Process Small Grant is funded by the Social Security Administration to help graduate students conduct research on improving the disability determination process. Reece’s thesis is being directed by Dr. Paul Luken.
Waring Lab
- Susan Fishman-Armstrong, a Laboratory Coordinator at the Waring Archaeological Laboratory, was awarded a fellowship from a national professional museum organization, the American Association of Museums. They offer four fellowships for the AAM conference and Susan was offered the 2011 Dun-Rite Travel Fellowship. She is the collections manager and helps the university and the Waring Laboratory maintain federal compliance and accreditation for museum standards. The fellowship is $1,000.00.