ECU Department of Sociology

05/09/2026

What a beautiful evening to celebrate our wonderful spring 2026 graduates! We’re so proud of all of you! We hope you caught that sunset later as well!! The sky was showing off on your behalf 🩷

05/08/2026

Hey SOCI fam! Are you graduating with a degree in sociology today!? If so, help us celebrate you!! Message us with this info ASAP (or email it to Dr. Myers at [email protected]): 1) a photo of you as a kid. 2) what degree you’re earning. 3) what you’re doing after graduation. 4) your favorite memory of being a sociology student at ECU. We’ll post all the great stuff HERE! And on insta.

05/08/2026

When Iyanna Hill was a high school senior (pictured here) she dreamed of getting a Master’s degree— and TODAY!? She’s DONE IT! Iyanna is graduating with an MA in Sociology and a Behavioral Specialist certificate. She plans to work in the field and eventually get a PhD. Her favorite moments of graduate school was getting inducted into Sociology’s Alpha Kappa Delta honor society and becoming a Teaching Assistant. She said, “I enjoyed everything from start to finish, even the sleepless nights because it was worth it in the end.” CONGRATULATIONS IYANNA!! We’re so proud of you.

05/07/2026

We’re so proud of Dr. Maril! His newest book was spotlighted by the American Sociological Association. Check out their description of his important work here:

In Oklahoma, one out of every six residents is poor. One in five children lives in poverty and faces food insecurity. In Hungry Oklahoma, native son and soci...

05/05/2026

Your favorite ECU Sociologists are all on board our ship, which we've stocked with a hull full of knowledge and skills, and we're ready to navigate undergraduate and graduate students to success.

Our degree offerings do look a little different. You may have heard that, as part of ECU’s effort to streamline degree options and make pathways clearer for students, the Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology is being phased out. Current BA students will be able to finish their degrees-- no problem! Going forward, Sociology will be offered through the Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Sociology—the degree most of our majors already complete. This change allows the department to focus resources on a single, modern sociology major with strong career alignment. Students build sociological understanding of inequality, institutions, communities, health, and social change while developing practical skills in research design, data analysis, and professional communication. The B.S. in Applied Sociology prepares graduates for careers in public service, nonprofits, education, health and human services, and other applied settings.

And, of course, our Master's degree is still going strong-- and taking applicants for next year! In case you didn't know, we offer paid assistantships to most of our graduate students. Apply for fall today!

All in all, we remain a vibrant department, an asset to ECU Thomas Harriot College of Arts & Sciences and to ECU. We're going places, but we're not leaving ECU!

Go Sociology!

05/05/2026

Raise your hand if you cited her this semester! 🙋‍♀️🙋🙋‍♂️

Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw helped name two contested ideas in U.S. politics — intersectionality and critical race theory. Her memoir chronicles the personal and legal framework for her thinking.

05/05/2026

We've heard a lot of concern from a lot of you after you read news about changes to some academic programs at ECU. To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of our demise are greatly exaggerated. Let us explain.

As part of ECU’s effort to streamline degree options and make pathways clearer for students, the Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology is being phased out. Going forward, Sociology will be offered through the Bachelor of Science in Applied Sociology—the degree that most of our majors already complete. This change allows the department to focus resources on a single, modern sociology major with strong career alignment. Students build sociological understanding of inequality, institutions, communities, health, and social change while developing practical skills in research design, data analysis, and professional communication. The B.S. in Applied Sociology prepares graduates for careers in public service, nonprofits, education, health and human services, and other applied settings.

So while we'll be leaner, we'll be stronger and as relevant as ever.

Thanks for supporting Sociology at ECU. Help us get the word out! Go Sociology! ECU Thomas Harriot College of Arts & Sciences

04/24/2026

Here are some scenes from our annual Department of Sociology Research Symposium and Awards Ceremony. A beautiful day to share knowledge and to celebrate another great year in Sociology.

10/29/2025

We are excited for Dr. Simpson’s new article! And thrilled that ASA chose to spotlight it! Check it out:

The new issue of ASA’s Contexts Magazine is now available and free to read until Nov. 16! Read findings from ethnographic research with the Black Youth Project 100 in “Love, Activism, and Social Change,” by chaniqua d. simpson. The piece sheds light on how activists utilize love as a social movement tactic and how their approaches, including a commitment to a Black q***r feminist lens, offer new ways to think about activism, freedom, and community-building. https://bit.ly/ContextsSummer25

07/09/2025

For more information on the research collaboration between ECU Program in Maritime Studies Dr. Jennifer McKinnon, Maddie Roth and sociology’s Dr. Kristen Myers, check out this interview they did with Brad Ruszala at NMI News Service yesterday. The interview starts at Minute 55:25–

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