Lorene Stone Joins Department Faculty
After serving as Dean of the College of Humanities and Public Affairs at Missouri State University for over seven years, Dr. Lorene Stone resigned that position in August 2008 and joined the faculty of our Department. Dr. Stone received a Ph.D. in Sociology from Iowa State University, spent 17 years in faculty and administrative positions at Lamar University in Texas, and came to Missouri State as Dean in 2001.
In her new role as a faculty member, Lorene will be teaching "Introductory Sociology," "Sociology of the Family," and "Juvenile Delinquency." She also will become Director of the Center for Social Sciences and Public Policy Research in August 2009. Dr. Stone and the Center will be key elements in our effort to create and implement a "public sociology" emphasis. The Department is extremely pleased to have Lorene, including her tremendous amount of experience, join our group on a full-time basis.
The Department Hires Three New Full-Time Faculty
The Anthropology program welcomes Dr. David Byers to the faculty. Dr. Byers is an archaeologist specializing in animal remains from archaeological sites. He has interests in ancient elephant hunting, the early peopling of the Americas and the impact of climate change on prehistoric foragers and their prey. Dave brings several years of experience in cultural resource management to the new M.S. in Applied Anthropology program. His Ph.D. in Anthropology is from the University of Utah. He taught "Introduction to Archaeology" and "Cultural Resource Management" in the Fall and will teach "Zooarchaeology" this Spring.
Dr. Lora Vess joined the Sociology Program in August 2008 as an assistant professor after receiving a Ph.D. from the University of Oregon. She originally is from Virginia, received her bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Virginia Tech University, and later earned a master’s degree in applied sociology from Northern Arizona University.
Lora’s research and teaching interests include environmental sociology, sociology of health, social movements, and social inequality. She also has a very strong interest in public sociology and will be integral as we develop a focus on this form of sociological practice. Lora currently is researching environmental health social movements, focusing specifically on how and why environmental health advocates mobilize to phase-out toxic PVC plastics from health care, buildings, and everyday products.
Dr. Vess will be teaching a new course, “Environmental Sociology,” in Fall 2009.
Dr. Matt Lammers joined the Department as an Instructor of Sociology in August 2008 after completing a Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of Missouri-Columbia in May 2008. Matt has expertise in the sociology of culture, social control, and the construction of identity. His dissertation analyzed how people of German descent, living in Hermann, Missouri, in the mid- 1800s, constructed an ethnic identity. Dr. Lammers teaches "Introductory Sociology" and "Social Problems."