Jonathan Aguilar
Degree
BA, Sociology, Cal Poly Pomona
jonathanjosue.aguilar@unlv.edu
Expected Graduation Date
2028
Research and Teaching Interests
Social Movements, Labor Racial Capitalism, Neoliberalism
Advisor
N/A
Antonio Ball
Degree
B.S., Sociology, Iowa State University
Expected Graduation Date
2026
Research and Teaching Interests
Gender, Political Sociology
Advisor
N/A
Sarah Benson
Degrees
B.S. Sociology
B.S. Psychology
M.A. Sociology, Minnesota State University Mankato
Expected Graduation Date
Spring 2025
Research and Teaching Interests
Criminology, Medical Sociology, Sociology of mental illness, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Advisor
N/A
Olivia Chavez
Degree
BA, Psychology, UNLV
Expected Graduation Date
2028
Research and Teaching Interests
Birthing practices, medical inequality, medicalization as social control and forced assimilation, poverty & inequality
Advisor
N/A
Emily Coombes
Degrees
B.S., Sociology, Northeastern University
Graduate Certificate in Sexuality, Culture, and Society, University of Amsterdam
M.A., Sociology, UNLV
Graduate Certificate in Social Justice Education, UNLV
Expected Graduation Date
N/A
Research and Teaching Interests
Social Movements, Sexual Politics, Surveillance & Technology, Social & Design (In)Justice, Trauma-Informed Qualitative Methods, Participatory Action Research (PAR), Evaluation Research, Public Sociology, Policy & Advocacy
Advisor
Dr. Barb Brents
Joshua Corum
Degrees
B.A., Indiana University
M.A., University of Louisville
Expected Graduation Date
Fall 2023
Research and Teaching Interests
Sexuality, Political Sociology, Gender, Classic and Contemporary Theory, Sociology of Sport
Advisor
Dr. Barb Brents
Camisha Fagan
Degrees
AA, English, College of Southern Nevada
BA, English, UNLV
BA, Sociology, UNLV
MA, Sociology, UNLV
Expected Graduation Date
May 2026
Research and Teaching Interests
Environmental Sociology: Climate Change and Society; Environmental Racism and Justice. Urban Sociology: Residential Segregation, Urban Development, and Neighborhood Effects.
Advisor
Dr. Robert Futrell
Kat Fuller
Degree
BA, Sociology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (with a minor in Anthropology)
Expected Graduation Date
N/A
Research and Teaching Interests
Masculinities, Virtual Spaces, Right-Wing Terrorism, Radicalization, Fascism, Post-Colonialism, Feminist Theories and Research, Gender Studies, Qualitative Methods, and Quantitative Methods
Advisor
N/A
Vincent Fuentes
Degrees
M.A., Sociology, Cal State Fullerton
B.A., Sociology, Cal Poly Pomona
A.A., Social and Behavioral Sciences, Mt. San Antonio College
Expected Graduation Date
2026
Research and Teaching Interests
Family estrangement, Race and Ethnicity, Identity Salience, Modernity
Advisor
Dr. Courtney Carter
Celene Fuller
Degree
BA, Sociology and Minor in Communications, California State University Channel Islands
MA, Sociology, California State University, Northridge
Expected Graduation Date
N/A
Research and Teaching Interests
Gender and sexuality, social psychology, identities, stigma, symbolic interactionism, research methods, statistics
Advisor
Dr. Barb Brents
Maria Hermosillo
Degrees
BA, UNLV
MA, UNLV
Expected Graduation Date
Spring 2025
Research and Teaching Interests
Research Interests: Social Psychology, Race & Ethnicity, Online Communities, Latinxs and Belonging
Teaching Interests: Introduction to Sociology, Statistics, Social Psychology
Advisor
Dr. Robert Futrell
Jeannette Hernandez
Degrees
B.A., CSU Long Beach
M.A., CSU Fullerton
Expected Graduation Date
Spring 2024
Research and Teaching Interests
Race/Ethnicity; Gender/Sexuality; Youth
Advisor
Dr. Robert Futrell
Mary Underwood Hood
Degrees
BA, Sociology, California State University, Fullerton
MA, Sociology, California State University, Fullerton
Expected Graduation Date
Spring 2025
Research and Teaching Interests
Social Psychology, Gender and Sexuality, Family, Crime and Deviance
Advisor
Dr. Brents
Rachel Howard
Degrees
B.A., Criminal Justice, UNLV
J.D., William S. Boyd School of Law
Expected Graduation Date
N/A
Research and Teaching Interests
Sociology and the law; sexual violence and the law; gender and sexuality
Advisor
Dr. Barbara Brents
Foster Chimpeni Kamanga
Degrees
MA, International Education, University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst
BA, History and Education Humanities, University of Malawi (UNIMA) – Chancellor College
Expected Graduation Date
N/A
Research and Teaching Interests
Global Internationalism, Sociology of Work and Occupations, Political Sociology and Social Movements, Urban; Community and Population Studies, Educational Policy and Instructional Design, Research Methods (Qualitative & Statistics), Comparative and Historical Methods.
Advisor
Dr. Robert Parker
Torisha Khonach
Degrees
AA, College of the Redwoods
BA, Cal Poly Humboldt
MA, Cal Poly Humboldt
Expected Graduation Date
Spring 2024
Research and Teaching Interests
Body and Embodiment, Weight Stigma, Gender and Sexuality, Racial Inequality, Social Construction of Health, Reproductive Justice
Advisor
Dr. Elizabeth Lawrence
Steph O. Landeros
Degrees
B.A., Sociology, California State University Stanislaus
M.A., Sociology, University of Nevada, Reno
Expected Graduation Date
2026
Research and Teaching Interests
Intersectionalities of Drag performance; Gender, Race, and Labor; Place and Space; Technology and Socialization
Advisor
Dr. Barb Brents
Christian Joy Lewis
Degrees
BA, Sociology, California State University, Sacramento
MA, Sociology, California State University, Sacramento
Expected Graduation Date
December 2023
Research and Teaching Interests
Social Psychology, Race and Ethnicity, Work and Occupations, Social Inequalities, Social Problems, Sociology of Education, Qualitative Methods, Sociology of Emotions
Advisor
Dr. Christie Batson
Dawn Marie Lighthiser
Degrees
B.A., Criminology and Investigations, West Virginia University
M.A., Applied Sociology and Anthropology, West Virginia University
Expected Graduation Date
2024
Research and Teaching Interests
City and Urban Life, Urban Sociology, Culture, Sociology of Places and Spaces
Advisor
Dr. Michael Ian Borer
Bridget Cowan Longoria
Degrees
BA and MA, Texas Tech University
Expected Graduation Date
5/2024
Research and Teaching Interests
Social Psychology, Culture, Poverty, Organizations
Advisor
Dr. Robert Futrell
Alma Lopez
Degrees
BS, Psychology, Minnesota State University Mankato
Certificate in Experimental Psychology, Minnesota State University Mankato
MS, Sociology: Human Services Planning and Administration, Minnesota State University Mankato
Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership Minnesota State University Mankato
Expected Graduation Date
2025/6
Research and Teaching Interests
Race/Ethnicity; Latine Studies; Children of Immigrants; Social Psychology
Esmeralda Cruz Lopez
Degree
BA, Sociology, UNLV
Expected Graduation Date
2027
Research and Teaching Interests
Race, class, gender
Advisor
Dr. Futrell
Victoria McMahan
Degrees
MS, Criminal Justice and Criminology, University of Missouri Kansas City
BA, Criminal Justice and Criminology , University of Missouri Kansas City
Expected Graduation Date
Spring 2025
Research and Teaching Interests
All avenues of sex work and sex worker rights, general interest in sexualities, cannabis law, stigma, and decriminalization
Advisor
Br. Barb Brents
Dante A Miller
Degree
BA, University of Northern Iowa
Expected Graduation Date
May 2025
Research and Teaching Interests
Political sociology; Race; Black political thought; linked fate; voting
Advisors
Dr. Robert Futrell and Dr. Tirth Bhatta
Jaimee Nix
Degrees
BA, Sociology, CSU Sacramento
MA, Sociology, UNLV
Expected Graduation Date
Spring 2025
Research and Teaching Interests
Environmental Sociology, Cultural Sociology, Community Studies, Climate Crisis Research
Advisor
Dr. Michael Borer
Vanessa Núñez
Degrees
B.A., Sociology, UCSD
M.A., Sociology, UNLV
Expected Graduation Date
2024
Research and Teaching Interests
Higher Ed, race/ethnicity, undocumented student movement, immigration
Advisor
Dr. Cassaundra Rodríguez & Dr. Robert Futrell
Daniel Okamura
Degrees
- M.A., Cal State L.A.
- B.A., UCSB
Expected Graduation Date
Spring 2024
Research and Teaching Interests
Culture, technology, mass media, criminology
Advisor
Dr. Tirth Bhatta, Dr. Robert Futrell
Kyle Rodgers
Degree
MA, Criminal Justice
Expected Graduation Date
Spring 2024
Research and Teaching Interests
Military Sociology
Advisor
Dr. Michael Ian Borer
Roen Sagun
Degree
BA, Sociology, University of Nevada, Reno
Expected Graduation Date
N/A
Research and Teaching Interests
Introductory Sociology; Gender and Sexuality; Porn, Sex, and Sex Work; Culture, Small Group Cultures, Competition Culture
Advisor
Dr. Michael Borer
Drue Sahuc
Degree
B.A. and M.A. University of New Orleans
Expected Graduation Date
2027
Research and Teaching Interests
Sexuality and Gender, Urban Society>/p>
Advisor
Dr. Christie Batson
Nicole Santero
Degrees
M.A., Journalism & Media Studies, UNLV
B.A., Communication Studies
Expected Graduation Date
Dec. 2023
Research and Teaching Interests
Fan culture, social media, online networks
Advisor
Dr. Robert Futrell
Virginia (Nia) Smercina
Degrees
BA, Anthropology, The Ohio State University
MA, Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Expected Graduation Date
Fall 2025
Research and Teaching Interests
Location Independence/Digital Nomadism, Future of Work, Global Capitalism, Border Politics, Urban Planning and Spatial Inequality, Human Mobility Studies
Advisor
Dr. Christie Batson
Karen Villa
Degrees
B.A., Asian American Studies, UC Berkeley
M.A., Sociological Practice, CSU San Marcos
Expected Graduation Date
2025
Research and Teaching Interests
Filipino Americans, citizenship, belonging, and identity
Advisor
Dr. Cassaundra Rodriguez
Emily Wagner
Degrees
BS, Sociology, Northland College
MA, Sociology, Northern Illinois University
Expected Graduation Date
2027
Research and Teaching Interests
Social Movements, Right-Wing Politics and Activism, Political Sociology
Advisor
Dr. Robert Futrell
Brooke Weinmann
Degree
MA and BS, Sociology, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Expected Graduation Date
2025
Research and Teaching Interests
Sexualities (sexual pleasure, fantasy, etc.) Social Psych
Advisors
Dr. Michael Borer
Jared Weissman
Degrees
BA, Sociology with Spanish Minor, Cal State Long Beach
MA, Sociology, Cal State Fullerton
Expected Graduation Date
2025
Research and Teaching Interests
Research in issues surrounding the intersection of race, religion, and culture. Teaching Interests: Introduction to sociology, Statistics, Culture courses, Theory courses, Research Methods Courses.
Advisor
Dr. Robert Futrell