Department of Sociology

Dr. Anastacia Schulhoff joined the faculty of Appalachian State University in 2017 as an Assistant Professor of Sociology. She serves as the Sociology Department’s Graduate Coordinator, co-advisor of the Sociology Club & Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD), and Vice President of Publications for the Association of Humanist Sociology. Her research interests address a broad array of issues within Sociology and Gerontology. She is currently working on several research projects that range from a narrative analysis of older adult volunteers’ experiences in the High Country, a Photovoice project that looks at the influence of COVID19 on college students, a project that looks at rural culturally appropriate care for racial minorities in S.D. and the High Country, and a cultural gerontology project that centers upon tribal nursing homes. In the latter, she will complete a book manuscript for publicationby 2023/24 about Native American CNAs, nurses, administrators, and residents working, living, and creating identities and culture within a tribal nursing home.

Areas of Expertise and Interest:

• Gerontology
• Health Inequalities/Disparities
•  Race & Ethnicity
•  Native American/Indigenous Peoples
•  Culture & Identity
•  Social Inequalities
•  Qualitative Research
  •  Narrative Research
  •   Ethnography
  •  Digital Ethnography
  •  Photovoice

Courses Taught:

Undergraduate

• Gerontology (SOC 3100)
•  Health Inequalities (SOC 2055/4000)
• Medical Sociology (SOC 3600)
• Race & Ethnicity (SOC 4560)
• Sociology of Sport (SOC 2700)
• Contemporary Sociological Theory (SOC 3960)

Graduate

• Health Disparities (SOC 5430)
• Sociology of Adult Development & Aging (SOC 5400)
• Health Care & Aging (SOC 5420)
• Contemporary Social Issues (SOC 5350)
• Social Stratification (SOC 5750)

Personal Website     http://anastaciaschulhoff.weebly.com

Recent Publications:

Schulhoff, Anastacia, Teti, Michelle, and Saffran, Erica 2023. “Photovoice in the Health Science(s) Classroom: Breaking Down Stigma & Stereotypes with a Critical Pedagogical Tool” (R&R with the Humanity & Society journal).

Schulhoff, Anastacia and Dukehart, Alex. 2023. “Foster Grandparent Programs Impact on the Quality of Life of Senior Volunteers” (R&R with the Journal of Aging Studies)

Schulhoff, Anastacia. "COVID-19 Photovoice: Creating College Student Peer-to-Peer Support Groups with an Online Active Learning Assignment." Sociation Today 21, no. 2(2022).

Juris JJ, Bouldin ED, Uva K, Cardwell CD, Schulhoff A, Hiegl N. 2022. “Virtual Intergenerational Reverse-Mentoring Program Reduces Loneliness among Older Adults: Results from a Pilot Evaluation.” Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jun 10;19(12):7121. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19127121

Schulhoff, Anastacia 2019. “Clan Families” In: Gu D., Dupre M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319- 69892-2

Teti, Michelle, Schulhoff, Anatacia, Koegler, Erica, Saffran, Lise and Bauerband, Loren. 2018. “Exploring the use of Photo-stories and Fiction Writing to Address HIV Stigma among Health Professions Students." Qualitative Health Research, OnlineFirst August 10, 2018 https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732318790939.

Schulhoff, Anastacia 2015. “More than Native American Narratives: Temporal Shifting and Authentic Identities.” Narrative Inquiry 25(1): 166-183.

Schulhoff, Anastacia M. 2008. “Wired Truth: The Symbolic Interaction Exchange of Socially Constructed Realities.” International Journal of Psychology: A Biopsychosocial Approach 2:184.

Dr. David Russell is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Appalachian State University. He earned his PhD in sociology from Florida State University and completed a National Institute of Mental Health Postdoctoral Fellowship in Mental Health Services and Systems at the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research at Rutgers University. His teaching and research interests include medical sociology, aging and the life-course, stress and mental health. Some of the courses he has recently taught include Senior Capstone, Social Statistics & Data Analysis, and Medical Sociology. His current research cuts across these areas and explores several topics, including factors impacting family caregiving for older adults with needs for functional assistance, the role of state capacity in shaping vaccination uptake across distinct phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, and identification of social and cultural forces underlying rampage school shootings.

 Courses Taught

• SOC 1000: The Sociological Perspective
• SOC 2600: Medical Sociology
• SOC 3895: Social Statistics and Data Analysis
• SOC 4450: Senior Capstone

Research Interests

• Medical Sociology
• Aging & the Life Course
• Sociology of Stress and Mental Health 
• Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods

Recent Publications

Friesen, Phoebe, Christina Wusinich, Katherine Lynch, and David Russell. 2024. “‘A Light at the End of the Tunnel’: Experiences With Peer Specialists in the Open Dialogue Model.” Psychiatric Services 75(3):283–86.

Miyawaki, Christina E., Angela McClellan, David Russell, and Erin D. Bouldin. 2024. “Comparing Unmet Service Needs between Rural and Urban Family Caregivers of People Living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias: A Multi-Site Study.” The Gerontologist.

Russell, David, Naomi J. Spence, Jo-Ana D. Chase, Tatum Schwartz, Christa M. Tumminello, and Erin Bouldin. 2022. “Support amid Uncertainty: Long COVID Illness Experiences and the Role of Online Communities.” SSM - Qualitative Research in Health 2:100177.

Spence, Naomi J., David Russell, Erin D. Bouldin, Christa M. Tumminello, and Tatum Schwartz. 2023. “Getting back to Normal? Identity and Role Disruptions among Adults with Long COVID.” Sociology of Health & Illness 45(4):914–34.

Dr. Juhee Woo earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Colorado Boulder and joined the Sociology Department at Appalachian State University in 2020. Her research interests are broadly rooted in social inequalities, specifically health disparities, health behaviors, and tobacco use. Her work has been published in various sociological and interdisciplinary journals, such as Health & Place, Demographic Research, and Sociological Perspectives. At App State, Dr. Woo has taught graduate and undergraduate courses, including Research Methods, Sociological Perspectives, Medical Sociology, and Health Inequalities. As a teacher-scholar, she enjoys connecting her research with teaching, involving students in research projects and community-engaged learning. Additionally, Dr. Woo leads and facilitates the International Mountaineer Faculty (IMF) Peer-Mentoring Circle and the International Faculty-Student Pair (IFSP) Mentoring Program at App State.

 Courses Taught

• SOC 1000: The Sociological Perspective
• SOC 2600: Medical Sociology
• SOC 3885: Research Methods
• SOC 4055: Health Inequalities
• SOC 5110: Advanced Research Methods

Research Interests

• Social Inequalities
• Health Disparities
• Health Behaviors
• Tobacco Use
• Mixed Methods

 Recent Publications

Truong-Vu, Kim-Phuong and Juhee Woo. 2025. “I trust the health care system, but I also do a little bit of research to understand more: Vaccine decision-making processes of Vietnamese American parents as acts of agency.” Social Science and Medicine - Qualitative Research in Health, 7:100514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2024.100514

Jackson, Alexandra Malia, Juhee Woo, Marley Olson, Francis Dalisay, Pallav Pokhrel, Clemma J. Muller, and Scott K. Okamoto. 2023. “Methodological Challenges in Web-Based Qualitative Research with Medically Underserved Populations.” Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25: e44086. https://www.jmir.org/2023/1/e44086/

Woo, Juhee. 2022. “An intersectional life-course perspective on Black women’s smoking trajectories.” Social Science & Medicine - Qualitative Research in Health, 2C: 100196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2022.100196

Woo, Juhee. 2022. "How place matters for smoking cessation: Barriers to smoking cessation among low-income Black women." Health & Place, 78: 102925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102925

Woo, Juhee, Elizabeth Lawrence, and Stefanie Mollborn. 2022. “Racial/ethnic and gender differences in smoking in early middle adulthood.” Social Science & Medicine - Population Health, 18: 101119. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827322000982

Dr. Ellen Lamont is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from New York University, an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Chicago, and a B.A. in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research examines how gender and sexuality shape intimate relationships in a variety of contexts. She is the author of The Mating Game: How Gender Still Shapes How We Date with University of California Press. Her work has been published in Gender & Society, Men & Masculinities, and Sociological Forum and covered by news outlets such as The Atlantic, BBC, Cosmopolitan, and The New York Times. She is currently working on a project on gender, work, and family in Appalachia funded by grants from the American Sociological Association and the University Research Council, as well as conducting an ethnography on gender and parenthood in family court. Ellen teaches courses on gender, family, and intimate relationships, as well as interdisciplinary seminars in the Honors College. She was inducted into the College of Arts and Sciences Academy of Outstanding Teachers in 2018 and awarded Teacher of the Year in 2019. In 2024, she won the Board of Governors Appalachian State University Excellence in Teaching Award. She currently serves as a council member for the Sex & Gender section of the American Sociological Association, as well as on the editorial boards for Sociological Forum and Social Currents.

 Courses Taught

• SOC 1110: Sociology of Intimate Relationships
• SOC 2850: Constructions of Gender
• SOC 4800: Sociology of Families
• SOC 4650: Women, Crime, and the Justice System

Research Interests

• Gender, Sexuality, and Intimate Relationships
• Dating and Courtship
• LGBTQ Hookup Culture
• Gendered Parenthood

Recent Publications

Lamont, Ellen, and Teresa Roach. Forthcoming. "Coming Out Queer: Sexual and Romantic Exploration and Identity Development of LGBQ+ College Students." Social Currents.

Lamont, Ellen. 2021. "The Persistence of Gendered Dating." Sociology Compass, 15(11), e12933. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12933

Lamont, Ellen.  2020. The Mating Game: How Gender Still Shapes How We Date. Oakland, CA: University of California Press.

Lamont, Ellen, Teresa Roach, and Sope Kahn. 2018. "Navigating Campus Hookup Culture: LGBTQ Students and College Hookups".  Sociological Forum 33(4): 1000-1022.

Lamont, Ellen. 2017. "'We Can Write the Script Ourselves':  Queer Challenges to Heteronormative Dating and Courtship Practices."  Gender & Society 31(5): 624-646.

 Lamont, Ellen. 2015. “The Limited Construction of an Egalitarian Masculinity: College- Educated Men’s Dating and Relationship Narratives.”Men & Masculinities 18(3): 271-292.   https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/1097184X14557495

Lamont, Ellen, 2014. "Negotiating Courtship: Reconciling Egalitarian Ideals with Traditional Gender Norms".  Gender & Society 28(2): 189-211.

Natalie Sheets joined the faculty of Appalachian State University in 2024 and serves as a Lecturer of Sociology. As a high school student, she started her academic journey at Wilkes Community College. She finished her A.A. degree and transferred to East Tennessee State University as a history major and sociology minor. She graduated with her Bachelor of Social Science degree and started working on her Master of Arts in Sociology at ETSU. Her graduate research and thesis focused on single mothers and religion, looking at many different ways single mothers use religion in their lives. After graduation, she became a Sociology Instructor at Wilkes Community College. While teaching for WCC, she earned a graduate certificate equivalent in Psychology and became the Lead Instructor of Sociology and Psychology. She was an instructor at WCC for ten years and lead instructor for two. Natalie also serves as the Western Representative of Sociology for the NCCCSPA.

Courses Taught

• SOC 1100: Social Problems in American Society
• SOC 2050: Social Diversity and Inequalities

Joyce Hill-Powers, M.A., and Senior Lecturer joined the faculty in the Department of Sociology at Appalachian State University in May 2000, right after completing her degree at Appalachian State University in the MASS Program: Master of Arts in Social Science Education. Joyce earned her master's degree in Sociology and History Education to teach at the post-secondary level. She also worked in College Awareness Programs, Conferences and Institutes, and Ashe County Middle and High schools while remaining a teacher in the department, which enabled Joyce to connect college students with the community and support first-generation college students through federal education grants. Joyce is excited to be a part of the Pathways to Resilience App State’s current Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). This five-year university effort seeks to grow students’ climate literacy and agency and build confidence in our capacity to respond to climate disruption in ways that reduce harm and improve local and global communities' well-being. She is also a Quality Matters Certified SOC 2020 web-based course instructor.

Courses Taught

• SOC 1100: Social Problems in American Society
• SOC 1110: Social Deviance
• SOC 2020: Social Deviance
• SOC 3340: Criminology
• SOC 3360: Juvenile Delinquency
• SOC 3549: Climate Responses

 Research Interests

• Deviance and Social Control
• The Stigmatization Process
• Social Integration
• Socialization
• Rural Communities
• Culture and Identity

Dr. Matthew Wright joined the faculty of Appalachian State University in 2020 and is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology. He earned his Ph.D in Sociology in 2017 from Bowling Green State University. His teaching interests center on families, intimate relationships, aging, demography, and statistics. Dr. Wright’s research, which has appeared in the Journal of Marriage and Family, Journals of Gerontology, Demography, and Journal of Health and Social Behavior, examines the implications of family change in later life, emphasizing marriage, divorce, and cohabitation. His current projects examine cohabitors' relationship quality, well-being, and social relationships, with particular attention to those aged 50 and older. Another line of research investigates family attitudes in the U.S. and internationally and how they have changed over time. He also serves on department and university committees focused on faculty development, mentoring, policy, and tuition appeals.

Courses Taught

• SOC 1110: Sociology of Intimate Relationships
• SOC 3100: Gerontology
• SOC 3895: Social Statistics and Data Analysis
• SOC 4800: Sociology of Families

Research Interests

• Marriage, Cohabitation, and Divorce in Later Life
• Nonmarital Relationships
• Family Attitudes
• Family change

Recent Publications

Wright, Matthew R., Tatum A. Schwartz, Susan L. Brown, and Wendy D. Manning. 2023. “Income Pooling in Midlife: A Comparison of Remarried and Cohabiting Relationships.” Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 78: 1402-1411.

Wright, Matthew R., Susan L. Brown, and Wendy D. Manning. 2023. “A Cohort Comparison of Midlife Marital Quality: A Quarter Century of Change.” Journal of Family Issues 44: 538-559.

Wright, Matthew R. 2021. “Cohabitation.” Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Edited by Danan Gu and Matthew R. Dupre. Springer.

Wright, Matthew R. 2020. “Relationship Quality among Older Cohabitors: A Comparison to Remarrieds.” Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 75: 1808-1817.

Kristin S. Ivey joined the faculty of Appalachian State University in 2010 and currently serves as a Senior Lecturer at App State Hickory Campus. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology with a concentration in Criminology and Social Control. She completed her Master of Arts in Higher Education with a concentration in Teaching Sociology and began teaching at Caldwell Community College and knew she wanted to invest more in her career! Kristin’s thirst for learning continued and while teaching part-time, she went back to Appalachian and completed her Education Specialist Degree in Higher Education with a concentration in Adult Learning. Kristin’s uses a variety of pedagogical practices to help students understand the relevance of Sociology in their lives and encourage them to be agents of social change. In addition to being a Senior Lecturer, Kristin serves as the Chapter Representative for AKD, The International Sociology Honor Society.

Courses Taught

• SOC 1000: The Sociological Perspective
• SOC 1100: Social Problems in American Society
• SOC 1110: The Sociology of Intimate Relationships
• SOC 2020: Social Deviance

Research Interests

• Intimate Relationships
• Diversities in Families
• Gender
• Social Deviance
• Criminology

Dr. Cameron D. Lippard joined the faculty of Appalachian State University in 2007 and currently serves as the Chair of the Department of Sociology. He received his Master’s and PhD from Georgia State University, and his BA in Psychology and Sociology from Appalachian State University. His teaching interests focus on race and racism, immigration, war, inequalities, and research methods. His research interests are wide. Lippard has critically examined the treatment of Latino immigrants moving to the American South. He has also studied affirmative action in college admissions, the effects of military participation on veterans, and the socio-cultural significance of craft beer, moonshine, and the Confederate battle flag. He has published eight books or edited volumes and his most recent will be released by the University of Washington Press titled, Protecting Whiteness: Whitelash and the Rejection of Racial Equality. At present, he serves as the co-editor of the North Carolina Sociological Association’s online research journal, Sociation,  the international research journal, Sociological Inquiry, and Humanity and Society. He also serves on several college, university, and professional committees devoted to inclusive excellence, assessment and planning in higher education, as well as the incoming Vice President for the Southern Sociological Society and Vice President of Membership for the Association of Humanist Sociology. 

Courses Taught

• SOC 1000: The Sociological Perspective
• SOC 1100: Social Problems in American Society
• SOC 2850: Constructions of Gender
• SOC 3335: Sociology of Immigration
• SOC 3800: Sociology of War
• SOC 3885: Research Methods
• SOC  3895: Social Statistics and Data Analysis
• SOC 4450: Senior Capstone
• SOC 4560: Race and Ethnic Relations
• SOC 4750: Wealth, Power, and Privilege
• Summer Study Abroad Opportunities

Research Interests

• Latino Incorporation into the American South
• Nativism and Racism in Post-Race America
• White Resistance to Diversity and Inclusion
• Sociology of War
• Culture of Sociology Topics (i.e., craft beer, moonshine, & fair trade coffee)

Recent Publications

Articles

Lippard, Cameron D. and Catherine B. McNamee. 2021 “Are Refugees Really Welcome?: Understanding Northern Ireland Attitudes towards Syrian Refugees.” Journal of Refugee Studies. https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/feab030

Embrick, David G., J. Scott Carter, Cameron Lippard, and Bhoomi K. Thakore. 2020  “Capitalism, Racism, and Trumpism: Whitelash and the Politics of Oppression.” Fast Capitalism 17(1): 204-224.

Carter, J. Scott, Cameron D. Lippard, and Andrew F. Baird. 2019. "Veiled Threats: Color-Blind Frames and Group Threat in Affirmative Action Discourse." Social Problems .

Lippard, Cameron D. 2017. “Heritage or Hate?: A Pedagogical Guide to the Confederate Flag in Post-Race America.” The International Journal of Higher Education in the Social Sciences 10(3). 

Lippard, Cameron D. and Elizabeth Thomas. 2017. “Struggling to Make Ends Meet: Identifying Barriers to Economic Self-Sufficiency for Women in Western North Carolina.” Sociation Today, 15(1) (http://www.ncsociology.org/sociationtoday/v151/outline29.html). 

Lippard, Cameron D. and Seth Cohen. 2016. "More than Just Beer: The Pedagogy of Fermentation Sciences." Technical Quarterly, 5(3): 169-178.

Lippard, Cameron D. 2016. "Playing the 'Immigrant Card': Reflections of Color-blind Rhetoric within Southern Attitudes on Immigration." Social Currents (DOI: 10.1177/2329496515604640).

Carter, J. Scott and Cameron D. Lippard. 2015. “Group Position, Threat and Immigration: The Role of Interest Groups and Elite Actors in Setting the “Lines of Discussion.” Sociology of Race and Ethnicity,1(3): 394-408.

Lippard, Cameron D. and M. Graham Spann. 2014. “Mexican Immigrant Experiences with Discrimination in Southern Appalachia.” Latino Studies, 12 (3): 374-398.

Lyubansky, Mikhail, Paul A. Harris, William E. Baker, and Cameron D. Lippard. 2013. “One Day on the Red Hills of Georgia”: The Effects of Immigration Status on Latino Migrants’ Experience of Discrimination, Utilization of Public Services, and Attitudes toward Acculturation.” Norteamérica, 8: 85-117.

Ghoshal, Raj Andrew, Cameron D. Lippard, Vanesa Ribas, and Kenneth Muir. 2013. "Beyond Bigotry: Teaching about Unconscious Prejudice." Teaching Sociology 41(2): 130-143.

Lippard, Cameron D. and Jammie Price. 2011."Latino Health Care in Southern Appalachia: A Community-Engaged Examination." Journal of Applied Social Science 5(2): 66-87.

Lippard, Cameron. D. and Amy Dellinger Page. 2011. "Driving While Non‐White: Exploring Traffic Stops and Post‐Stop Activities in North Carolina, 2005‐2009." Sociation Today. 9 (2).

Lippard, Cameron D. 2011. "Racist Nativism in the 21st Century." Sociology Compass, 5 (7): 591-606.

Books

Lippard, CameronD., David G. Embrick, and J. Scott Carter. Eds. 2020. Protecting Whiteness: Whitelash and the Rejection of Racial Equality. Seattle: University of Washington Press.

Carter, J. Scott and Cameron Lippard. 2020. The Death of Affirmative Action?: Racialized Tactics and the Fight for College Admissions. Bristol, England: Bristol University Press.

 Lippard, Cameron and Bruce Stewart. eds. 2019.  Modern Moonshine: The Resurrection of White Whiskey in the 21st Century. Morgantown, WV: West Virginia University Press. 

Lippard, Cameron D., Pavel Osinsky, and Lon Strauss. 2018. War:  Contemporary Perspectives on Armed Conflicts around the World.  New York: Routledge. 

Chapman, Nathaniel, J. Slade Lellock, and Cameron D. Lippard. eds. 2017. Untapped:  Exploring the Cultural  Dimensions of Craft Beer. Morgantown, WV: West Virginia University Press. 

Gallagher, Charles and Cameron Lippard. eds. 2014. Race and Racism in the United States: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia. 4 Volumes. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood Press.

Lippard, Cameron D. and Charles A. Gallagher. eds. 2011. Being Brown in Dixie: Race, Ethnicity, and Latino Immigration in the New South. Boulder, CO: First Forum Press.

Lippard, Cameron D. 2008. Building Inequality: Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration in the Atlanta Construction Industry. Saarbrücken, Germany: VDM Publishing.

Dr. Bradley Nash Jr. joined the faculty at Appalachian State University in 2002. Currently a full Professor in the Department of Sociology, he served as Undergraduate Sociology Director from 2005 to 2010 and Graduate Sociology Director from 2017 to 2020. Teaching interests include sociological theory, environmental sociology, and social problems. One of his long-standing areas of research has been the historical-comparative analysis of labor law policy and its impact on trade unions and related labor organizations. More recently, he has also begun research in the area of the sociology of science, specifically looking at the social construction of and public attitudes toward scientific knowledge. He currently serves on the editorial board of Sociation and the American Sociological Association’s Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology.

 Courses Taught

• SOC 1100: Social Problems in American Society
• SOC 3150: Environmental Sociology 
• SOC 3710: Sociology of Appalachian Communities 
• SOC 3950: Classical Sociological Theory

Research Interests

• Comparative Labor Law Policies 
• Sociology of Science 
• Sociology and Anthropocene

Recent Publications

Nash, Bradley Jr.  “Labor Law Reform and Organized Labor: A Comparative-Historical Sociology of Unanticipated Outcomes”.  Humanity and Society.  Volume 43, Number 2.  2019. 

 Kleitsch, David, Ed Rosenberg and Bradley Nash, Jr.  “Community in a Virtual Environment: Can YouTube Build Community for LGBT Youth?”  Sociation Today.  Volume 13, Number 2.  2015.