Recent news
Cottom earns top honor from American Sociological Association
February 7, 2020
The American Sociological Association has awarded Tressie McMillan Cottom, Ph.D., the 2020 Public Understanding of Sociology Award. The award is given annually to someone who has made exemplary contributions to advance the understanding of sociology, sociological research and scholarship among the general public.
"Meet VCU's Authors" series to kick-off with Tressie McMillan Cottom
January 27, 2020
To begin the spring semester, the Humanities Research Center will feature VCU faculty authors as part of its “Meet VCU’s Authors” series. The first speaker in the series will be VCU Sociology's own Tressie M. Cottom, Ph.D.
"Thick: And Other Essays" honored in longlist for 2019 National Book Award in Nonfiction
September 20, 2019
VCU Sociology offers a huge congratulations to Tressie Cottom, Ph.D, as her latest book is honored in the longlist for the 2019 National Book Award in Nonfiction.
SOCY welcomes two new faculty members!
February 9, 2018
SOCY@ VCU is pleased to announce that Gabriela León-Pérez and Ying-Chao Kao will be joining the faculty in the Fall of 2018!
Susan Bodnar-Deren in the News
May 14, 2015
Susan Bodnar-Deren, Ph.D., will be piloting an evaluation project of a targeted intervention titled "Mommies, Babies, Bellies & Daddies – The ABCs of Breastfeeding" designed to increase breastfeeding initiation and duration. SOCY is so very proud of all the community engaged work of our faculty!
Congratulations Dr. Chen!
April 13, 2016
Dr. Victor Chen, Assistant Professor of Sociology has been awarded the College of Humanities and Sciences Distinguished Faculty Award. This award recognizes exemplary scholarship by a junior faculty member.
Dr. Tressie M. Cottom featured in Richmond Mag!
March 13, 2017
Dr. Tressie M. Cottom’s work on the rise of for profit colleges and the problems associated with this trend is highlighted in Richmond Magazine!
SOCY@VCU’s Meredith Katz weighing in on raising the minimum wage
August 16, 2016
Professor Meredith Katz was featured in WalletHub’s recent debate about raising the minimum wage. You can find the piece here: https://wallethub.com/blog/should-minimum-wage-be-raised/23681/#meredith-a-katz
Dr. Chen in The Atlantic, January 2016
January 19, 2016
Social scientists have been debating the striking findings of a study by the economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton.
Dr. Tressie M. Cottom, Faculty Associate with the Berkman Center @ Harvard
July 16, 2015
#VCUSOCY on the rise!! Our newest faculty, Dr. Tressie M. Cottom, will be a Faculty Associate with the prestigious Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University.
Dr. Perry Threlfall's 'Students Can Be Parents, Too' published in The Chronicle of Higher Education
April 18, 2017
Dr. Threlfall's piece on the academic needs of students who are also parents appears in the April 21st edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education.
http://www.chronicle.com/article/Students-Can-Be-Parents-Too/239794
Dr. Tressie M. Cottom featured on The Daily Show!
March 9, 2017
Tressie McMillan Cottom explains the business model of for-profit colleges and talks about how the schools prey on already-disadvantaged students in her book “Lower Ed.”
VCU Study Abroad in South Africa
December 8, 2014
Sociology will be supporting a study abroad opportunity for both graduate and undergraduate students in the Summer of 2015. Come study contemporary social challenges in rural South Africa with Susan Bodnar Deren, Ph.D. Students can earn course credit! See here for more information!
Susan Bodnar Deren Receives TWO Grants!!
April 15, 2015
Sociology faculty, Dr. Susan Bodnar-Deren was just awarded two grants. The first is a $19,149 award from the VCU Council on Community Engagement for the project entitled “A CBPR Evaluation of the ‘Mommies, Babies, Bellies & Daddies – The ABCs of Breastfeeding’ – a targeted intervention to encourage inform, and empower mothers to care for…
AKD and SOCY to host Dr. Richard Ocejo
November 30, 2017
AKD@VCU and the Sociology Department are presenting Dr. Richard Ocejo, an Associate Professor of Sociology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. He will be discussing his new book, Masters of Craft: Old Jobs in the New Urban Economy. The event will take place November 30 at 6:30pm in the VCU Arts Depot. This is a free event and is open to everyone to attend.
Proud of these Sociology Activists!
April 28, 2016
Student activists from the VCU chapter of United Students Against Sweatshops marched to the doorstep of the office of VCU President Michael Rao to deliver a letter of intent on April 21.
Study Abroad in South Africa with Sociology
March 16, 2018
Learn more about sociology's summer study abroad in South Africa.
New H&S Scholarship Website
December 19, 2014
The College of Humanities and Sciences has introduced a new website, vcu.academicworks.com, with information and an online application process for the over 100 scholarship opportunities we offer to currently enrolled students. The system features a searchable database of opportunities and details the requirements for each. This system will offer a more student-centric experience, streamlines our administrative…
Richmond Times-Dispatch features Dr. Tressie M. Cottom’s book ‘Lower Ed’
March 13, 2017
SOCY’s own Dr. Tressie M. Cottom was featured on the front page of the Richmond Times-Dispatch for her book “Lower Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy.”
Susan Bodnar-Deren, Ph.D., awarded the Building Interdisciplinary Bridges in Women's Health Research Award.
April 5, 2017
Congratulations to Susan Bodnar-Deren, Ph.D., who was awarded the Building Interdisciplinary Bridges in Women’s Health Research Award. She was selected for the award based on her research presented at the 13th Annual Women's Health Research Day, through the VCU Institute for Women's Health.
Dr. Tressie M. Cottom's latest NY Times Op-Ed inspired by SOCY 322 Honors Course!
May 4, 2017
Dr. Cottom personally credits her latest New York Times Op-Ed piece to a discussion from her SOCY 322 Honors Course. Thanks Jordan, Justin, Erin, Abbie, Mazer and Rebecca for your inspiration! Hopefully we'll see more from each of you soon!
Dr. Susan Bodnar-Deren’s service learning class project featured in Richmond Times Dispatch
December 19, 2016
Throughout the 2015-2016 academic year, VCU Sociology service-learning students collaborated with “The Green Team,” a group of students from the Oak Grove/Bellemeade Community Center, to create a video about their community.
Dr. Silvia Federici Speaks to AKD Inductees!
April 28, 2017
Yesterday, SOCY inducted several of our majors into Alpha Kappa Delta, the international sociology honor society! Congratulations to all of our inductees!
Dr. Tressie M. Cottom on NPR
February 20, 2016
Listen to our very own Dr. TMC on NPR discussing Bernie Sander’s Free College Promise!
Sociology Welcomes New Faculty Member - Tressie McMillan Cottom
January 13, 2015
Tressie McMillan Cottom studies race, class and gender inequality through education, work, and media. She arrives via Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Her forthcoming book on the rapid expansion of for-profit colleges like The University of Phoenix documents the social inequalities in the high cost, low prestige for-profit college credential market. Tressie has published on academic…
SOCY will be Livestreaming Graduation!
May 10, 2018
Two sociology students; Sameen Meshkin and Marwa Eltiab awarded Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship 2016 Summer Fellowships
April 13, 2016
Two Medical Sociology students, Sameen Meshkin and Marwa Eltiab were awarded VCU Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship 2016 Summer Fellowships (UROPs). Susan Bodnar-Deren serves proudly as their faculty mentor.
Dr. Silvia Federici - April 27th at 3pm
April 21, 2017
The Sociology Department is sponsoring a talk by Dr. Silvia Federici of Hofstra University, a world-famous scholar and activist, on Thursday, April 27, at 3:00 p.m. in The Depot (814 W. Broad St.).
Students for Social Action organize art show in solidarity with Ferguson!
December 8, 2014
Sociology gives a huge shout out to Students for Social Action for organizing an important and successful art show to show solidarity with the people of Ferguson and to support the family of Michael Brown. Thank you to Rachel Stacks for sharing her photos of the event! And thank-you to Professor Goldstein for supporting…
TMC is Indispensable on Twitter!!
March 22, 2016
DR. TRESSIE MCMILLAN COTTOM WAS VOTED AS ONE OF THE MOST VALUED TWITTER VOICES BY FELLOW ACADEMICS! HER VOICE IS CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL!
Dr. Victor Chen on how the economy has impacted marriage
August 29, 2017
Dr. Victor Chen's recent article in The Atlantic explores how changes in the economy have impacted marriage in the US. Dr. Chen was also invited to discuss the broader impacts of this social shift on NPR and on KERA's program, think.
Is Rising Inequality Slowly Poisoning Our Democracy?
April 22, 2015
Dr. Victor Chen has a new op-ed out addressing this question! Check it out!!
Dr. Tressie M. Cottom receives 2017 College of H&S Distinguished Faculty Award!
April 13, 2017
Congratulations to Dr. Tressie M. Cottom! The 2017 College of Humanities & Sciences Distinguished Faculty Award recognizes Dr. Cottom for Excellence in Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences!
Students help clean up a long-neglected African-American cemetery — and uncover the past
April 14, 2016
Susan Bodnar-Deren, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Sociology, looks on as senior international studies major Josselinne Robles washes off a grave marker found by Bodnar-Deren’s Sociology of Aging and the Life Course class.
March 24 – CUT LOOSE: JOBLESS AND HOPELESS IN AN UNFAIR ECONOMY talk by Dr. Victor Chen
March 10, 2017
Victor Chen will be talking about his new book, Cut Loose: Jobless and Hopeless in an Unfair Economy (University of California Press, 2015).
Dr. Chen in The Atlantic, October 2015
October 21, 2015
Please join me in recognizing, congratulating and high fiving another SOCY faculty–Victor Tan Chen– for his piece in The Atlantic discussing the relevance of social policy and lifting from the bottom in the alleviation of inequality and economic distress!
Dr. Susan Bodnar-Deren discusses partnering with local community organizations to improve rates of breastfeeding through the "ABC's of Breastfeeding" project.
December 14, 2017
Dr. Bodnar-Deren discusses partnering with local community organizations to improve rates of breastfeeding through the "ABC's of Breastfeeding" project.
Livestream of “Deeper in Debt: Women and Student Loans” with Dr. Tressie M. Cottom
May 9, 2017
Dr. Cottom will serve on a panel with several other scholars for the launch of the AAUW's new research report, “Deeper in Debt: Women and Student Loans.”
Johnson’s Research in the News
December 20, 2014
Dr. Jennifer A. Johnson’ s recent article is in the news: Pornography and Men’s Sexual Health Pornography and Men’s Intimate Relationships Access the full article here.
Dr. Victor T. Chen named the LERA 2017 John T. Dunlop Outstanding Scholar!
April 17, 2017
Congratulations to Dr. Victor T. Chen! He was named the LERA 2017 John T. Dunlop Outstanding Scholar for his work on industrial relations and employment. This award recognizes outstanding academic research by recent entrants to the field.
SOCY @ VCU Welcomes Dr. Tara Stamm to our faculty!!
April 7, 2015
Tara Stamm will receive her PhD in Sociology from Florida State University in May 2015! She also holds a BA in Literature, an MA in Practical Philosophy and Applied Ethics and an MS in Sociology. Her dissertation spotlights the experiences and depictions of young mothers, the importance of emerging mixed-methodological techniques, and intersections between gender, education,…
Dr. Tressie M. Cottom hosts an event with Angela Davis!
February 2, 2017
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Tressie Cottom for hosting a remarkable conversation with Angela Davis, a legendary civil rights activist. Tressie shared her experience with many of our students by giving them special access to the event. SOCY is so grateful for her generosity and commitment to VCU students!
Dr. Victor Chen discusses misconceptions of welfare fraud on 8 News
May 1, 2017
Dr. Victor Chen discusses some common misconceptions about welfare and welfare fraud with 8 News.
SOCY@VCU’s very own Dr. Victor Chen is on the cover of The Atlantic with his newest piece titled “Living in an Extreme Meritocracy Is Exhausting”.
October 28, 2016
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/10/extreme-meritocracy/505358/
Sociology Alumni & Friends Reception
April 6, 2016
You are invited to a special reception for alumni and friends of the Department of Sociology
Cut Loose: Jobless & Hopeless in an Unfair Economy
January 13, 2015
Forthcoming from DR. VICTOR TAN CHEN, Assistant Professor of Sociology at VCU!! Years after the Great Recession, the economy is still weak, and an unprecedented number of workers have sunk into long spells of unemployment. Cut Loose provides a vivid and moving account of the experiences of some of these men and women, through the…
Dr. Cottom on the cover of The Atlantic
September 17, 2015
Please join me in recognizing, congratulating and high fiving our very own Tressie McMillan Cottom for gracing the cover of The Atlantic discussing Race in America, the #blacklivesmatter movement and the continuing relevance of race in our culture!