Department

Distinguished Professor Wendy Manning was named the Dr. Howard E. Aldrich and Penny Daum Aldrich Distinguished Professor in Sociology. The professorship was recently established by the Aldriches, both BGSU alumni.

“I am honored and feel lucky to have been nominated and chosen,” Manning said. “It is a special privilege to receive this named professorship from such a highly accomplished sociologist, Dr. Aldrich, and his generous wife, Penny. Read more about Wendy Manning

Introducing Jenjira Yahirun, our newest faculty member. Dr. Yahirun hails from the University of Hawaii Mānoa where she worked as an Assistant Researcher (Tenure-track) for the Center on the Family. She also served as a Non-Resident Affiliate for the California Center for Population Research, UCLA.

Dr. Yahirun's work examines how the family, as an institution, contributes to social inequality. This work investigates three major themes: 1) how families shape individual health outcomes, 2) how increasing family complexity and diversity challenge the kinship safety net, and 3) how migration affects ties to kin. A cross-cutting theme in this work is that gender, race/ethnicity, and social class stratify access to a variety of resources, with implications for how the “linked lives” of family members contributes to disparities in health and well-being.  

Donna R. Kauffman retired at the end of the 2019 summer semester. She had been a member of the sociology faculty since 2005. The Department recently held a reception and presented Dr. Kauffman with a gathering of reminiscences from current & former students.  

Professor Kara Joyner is serving a three-year term as Co-Editor of Population Research and Policy Review (PRPR). PRPR is the flagship journal of the Southern Demographic Association. The journal attracts submissions from scholars who represent multiple disciplines and substantive areas within the field of demography. Doctoral student Elizabeth Woods served as Managing Editor of PRPR. BGSU is proud to host this flagship demography journal that is widely recognized as a top publication outlet in the field. Professor Joyner’s leadership at the helm of PRPR brings international visibility to our well-regarded demography program. Read more about Kara Joyner