Wichita State University Sociology Department

What is the benefit of a Sociology degree?
Three of our 2026 B.A. graduates highlight their personal experiences.

Be sure to join us in congratulating Danielle Ramirez, Remi Flom, & Meghan Worsham, along with all of our graduating students, this weekend.


Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Wichita State University

Congrats go out to Lily, who successfully defended her thesis and will soon be joining the ranks of our M.A. alumni. We are excited to see where her path brings her next.

Pictured with Dr. Jenny Pearson, Faculty advisor. Other committee members included Dr. Alyssa Lynne-Joseph and our colleague from Wichita State University School of Social Work, Stacey Popejoy.



Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Wichita State University
Wichita State University Graduate School

It's always good to end the semester with some good news, so we are really happy to share the recognition of the scholarly accomplishments amongst three of our own.

Within higher education, professors are ranked across three levels based on tenure status, experience, and scholarly achievements.

We are happy to announce that two professors in our department, Drs. Chase Billingham and Jodie Hertzog were promoted to the highest rank - that of Full Professor.

Dr. Twyla Hill, who already holds that distinction, was further recognized for continued scholarly achievements as part of WSU's professor incentive review process.

Help us congratulate these Shocker Sociology achievements, and to congratulate all of the awardees across campus also acknowledged at yesterday's reception.

Image description: A photo with Dr.s Hill, Hertzog, and Billingham (from left to right) standing in front of a blank wall. The photo is positioned within an old Polaroid-type frame with the word "Congratulations!" at the bottom and is layered on top of a black background with gold fireworks.

Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Wichita State University

Will you be on campus on Friday? Stop by our Sociology Symposium

We will be holding our 10th Annual Shocker Sociology Symposium on Friday, April 10, 2026, in Woolsey 225, from 10 am - 3 pm, but feel free to drop in for a single session or part-day if you aren't able to attend the full symposium.

The symposium primarily highlights various research and applied experiences from undergraduate and graduate students who have completed our courses, but some faculty will be sharing their research as well.

Program Agenda:
10:00–10:15 Morning Mingle & Opening Remarks
10:15–11:00 LGBTQ+ Identities, Community, and Social Change
11:00–11:30 Media, Culture, and Social Relationships
11:40–12:30 First Gen: Persistence and Possibility Panel
12:30–1:30 Networking Lunch
1:45–2:15 Women’s Health, Care, and Social Inequality*
2:15–2:45 Institutions, Education, and Structural Inequality
2:45–3:00 Closing Remarks & Feedback

Image description: The photo is a flyer for the symposium, which lists the session times (10 am - 3 pm), where (Woolsey 225), and when (Friday, April 5th). Full details are outlined in the above post. The flyer also includes the sociology logo and thanks to Alpha Kappa Delta Sociology Honor Society.




Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Wichita State University
Wichita State University School of Social Work
Wichita State University Graduate School

Sociologists across the Midwest gathered in St. Louis, MO, for the annual meeting of the Midwest Sociological Society a week ago. Shocker Sociology was well represented as usual - serving as panelists, presenting their research, and supporting graduate students in professional development.

Image details: Graduate students Munia Das and Amanur Rahman, following poster presentations of research they analyzed as applied learning projects in their Qualitative Research Course (Soc812). Pictured with Drs. Jodie Hertzog (faculty research advisor) and Chase Billingham (graduate coordinator).




Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Wichita State University
Alpha Kappa Delta Sociology Honor Society

The arts have always been one mechanism through which the issues and needs of a particular time period are explored. Gain hands-on experience with this process by joining WSU's Civic Canvases monthly mural projects.

The next event is from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19th on the first floor of the Rhatigan Student Center.

Upcoming themes are:
February – Care in Action
March – Rooted and Ready
April – Looking Back, Looking Ahead
May – Reflections

Email [email protected] with any questions.







Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Wichita State University
Student Engagement & Belonging - Wichita State University

It's now time to register for the 2026 Kansas Gender & Sexuality Conference.

We ask that all conference attendees register in advance, even if you plan to drop in and out or attend part-day. This helps us with planning refreshments and assessing conference material needs.

Where to register: www.wichita.edu/genderconference

Pre-registration will close at midnight on Wednesday, February 25th , but there will still be an opportunity for on-site registration on the day of the conference.

Please spread the word.

We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks.

Gender & Sexuality Conference Information about the Kansas Gender & Sexuality Conference held annually at Wichita State University.

Call for presentations for the 12th annual KGSC has been extended until Sunday, Feb 8th. Go to:

Gender & Sexuality Conference Information about the Kansas Gender & Sexuality Conference held annually at Wichita State University.

Call for presentations for the 2026 Kansas Gender & Sexuality Conference are now open. Go to: https://wichita.edu/genderconference

Wichita State University
Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Wichita State
Shocker Sociology Club - Wichita State Sociology
Wichita State University Graduate School
Cohen Honors College
Student Engagement & Belonging - Wichita State University

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As the semester quickly comes to a close, we hope you find some time to give thanks this week.

In preparation for the upcoming holiday, here are a few insights into social norms for Thanksgiving provided by the Pew Research Center (Gramlich et al, 2024):
- 91% of U.S. adults celebrate the holiday
- 74% plan to have dinner with others as part of their celebration
- Only 11% prefer to hold their Thanksgiving dinners in the evening