Doctoral Candidates
Erika Carpenter (she/her)
Erika Carpenter is a doctoral candidate in the Sociology Department. Her research interests include sexual health education, sexual violence prevention, and qualitative methods. She is committed to community-based research, particularly with youth and youth-serving organizations, and works to that end as a research contractor and evaluator. Erika is currently conducting qualitative research for her dissertation titled, “Comprehensive Sex Ed as Violence Prevention? Oregon Public High School Students Experiences of Safety.” Erika also teaches Human Sexuality as an adjunct faculty member in the Sociology Department at Virginia Commonwealth University. She can be reached at ec24@pdx.edu.
Anne Johnson
Anne Johnson is a graduate student and graduate teaching assistant in the Sociology Ph.D. Program. She has an M.A in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her research interests include medical sociology and queer theory. Anne’s current research is concerned with improving common medical spaces, most specifically the blood draw. You can reach Anne at aj36@pdx.edu.
Tasha Lane
Tasha is a doctoral candidate in the Sociology Department. Her research interests include crime, law, and deviance, sociology of law, the U.S. court system and juries. Her current research focuses on gender in the jury selection process. She is a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Sociology Department. You can reach Tasha at ltasha@pdx.edu.
Daniel Mackin Freeman
Daniel is a graduate student in the Sociology Ph.D. program. His research interests include educational inequality, arts education, and quantitative methods. His current research is focused on how the relationship between fine arts education and mathematics achievement in high school varies by student socioeconomic status. Currently, Daniel works as a Graduate Research Assistant working with Dr. Dara Shifrer on investigating STEM educational disparities in the US. Daniel can be reached at dmackin@pdx.edu.
Rebeca Petean
Rebeca is a graduate student in the Sociology Ph.D. program. She earned her B.A in Criminology and Criminal Justice, M.S. in Criminology and Criminal Justice, and Graduate Certification in Teaching Adult Learners from Portland State University. She has served as both a Graduate Research Assistant and Online Course Facilitator for the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at Portland State University. Currently, as a Sociology Ph.D. student, her research focus includes legal, political, and social effects of drug addiction, drug policy as well as community policing across urban neighborhoods. Rebeca is a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, Pi Sigma Upsilon Chapter and the Criminology and Portland State University Criminal Justice Honor Society. She can be contacted at rpetean@pdx.edu.
Wynn Strange
Wynn Strange (they/them) attended community college in CA before they received their B.A. in Sociology from California State University Chico and their M.A. in Sociology from Dan Diego State University; they are currently a PhD candidate in Sociology. Their dissertation is titled, "Paradoxes of recognition: Implications of legal gender and name changes and the legal consciousness of nonbinary folx." Wynn uses critical theories including queer, critical race, and decolonial theories in their areas of research in gender and sexuality, law and policy, identity, and popular culture, They participated in research at SDSU on labor violations in San Diego and Imperial counties, and at PSY on the legal needs of low-income Oregonians. They are co-author on six publications from their two years working in health services research at the Portland VA. They are currently an adjunct instructor at Pacific University PSU, and Linfield University. They have prepared eleven unique courses for these universities including Gender and Sexuality in Public Health; Program Development and Evaluation; Social Foundations of Public Health; Intro to Sociology; Hate Crimes; Medicine and Culture; and Crime, Deviance and Social Control. Wynn taught Alcohol and Other Drugs and Introduction to Sociology through the PSU Higher Education in Prison program at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility. Wynn was a recipient of the 2021 Department of Sociology Outstanding Graduate Student Award and received a research enhancement award from Pacific University in 2022. In addition to their research and teaching, Wynn is involved in service work with Sociologists for Trans Justice. Through S4TJ Wynn has organized several research and writing support-oriented events. You can reach Wynn at wstrange@pdx.edu or see more about their work on their bolg.
Seventh Year Ph.D. Students
Nate Parsons
Nate is a graduate student in the Sociology Ph.D. program. His research and teaching interests include sociology of place, suicide, and social integration. An expert in quantitative methods, Nate enjoys exploring the boundaries of computational sociological methodology and data integration. Nate’s current research focuses on the effects of place on suicide rate, examining the ephemeral social aspects that tie individuals together into communities. As well as teaching methods labs as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, Nate is a Senior Research Assistant with the Veterans Administration Evidence Synthesis Program Coordinating Center and is currently Vice President of Politics with the Graduate Employees Union at PSU. Nate can be reached at nparsons@pdx.edu.
Sixth-Year Ph.D. Students
Ahmed Almousa
Ahmed is a graduate student in the Sociology PhD program. He is a teaching assistant for the Sociology Department at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ahmed’s research and teaching interests include race, gender and class. His research focuses specifically on women in the workplace. Ahmed is a member of the American Sociology Association. You can reach Ahmed at almous2@pdx.edu.
Hannah Sean Ellefritz
Hannah Sean is a Ph.D. student and research assistant in the Department of Sociology. In the 2021-2022 school year, she served as the department’s Graduate Student Representative and received the award for PSU Sociology Department’s Most Outstanding Teaching Assistant. She also successfully defended her master’s thesis that spring, exploring differences in teachers’ job satisfaction across schools with and without instructional autonomy. For her dissertation research, Hannah Sean maintains a steadfast interest in educational inequities, specifically focusing on pedagogy and the experiences of educators. She welcomes communication and can be reached at ellef@pdx.edu.
Andrea M Garrity
Andrea is a graduate student in the Sociology Ph.D. program. Andrea’s research interests are within the sociology of education and includes higher education and the connection between education and social mobility. Andrea’s current thesis focuses on the relationship between those who leave college without a degree and the student experience. She is privileged to work in the Office of Student Success within the Office of Academic Affairs at PSU and serves as the program manager for Students First which is aimed at improving student success outcomes and the student experience at PSU. Andrea is also an advocate for basic needs support for college students and is working as part of a team to study and further scale the basic needs ecosystem at PSU through the Hope Center’s Institutional Capacity Building Cohort. Please be in touch at agarrity@pdx.edu.
Rachel Springer
Rachel is a Ph.D. student in the Sociology Department. She has an M.S. in Statistics from Portland State University and works as a biostatistician in the Department of Family Medicine at Oregon Health and Science University. She also is a Social Science Fellow with the US Forest Service. Her research interests include environmental sociology, the sociology of disasters, the sociology of risk, and medical sociology. You can reach Rachel at rs4@pdx.edu.
Dani Standridge
Dani is a Ph.D. student in the Sociology Department. She has an M.S. in Sociology from Portland State University and an MPH in Epidemiology from Oregon State University. Formerly a health insurance specialist at the Center for Medicare, she now works as a program analyst with the National Institutes of Health. Her research interests include medical sociology, health insurance policy issues, and military veterans. You can reach Dani at standrid@pdx.edu.
Kaitlin Yeomans
Kaitlin (she/her) is currently a graduate student in the Sociology department at Portland State. She is currently serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA member with a community mental health organization in Portland, OR. Her research areas of interest include environment, education, and health. Her current dissertation project focuses on the intersections of environmental justice, mental health care, and technology. Kaitlin’s teaching interests include sociological theory, the sociology of health and illness, and sociolinguistics. You can reach Kaitlin at kry@pdx.edu. Please be in contact!
Fifth-Year Ph.D. Students
Andrea Baron
Andrea is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in the Sociology Department and works as a Research Associate in the Department of Family Medicine at Oregon Health and Science University. Andrea received her MPH in 2016 and conducts research on healthcare transformation and policy related to Substance Use Disorder (SUD). She has expertise in qualitative research and mixed methods and is interested in medical sociology. Some recent publications include: Effective Facilitator Strategies for Supporting Primary Care Practice Change A Mixed Methods Study, Effects of practice turnover on primary care quality improvement implementation, and Feasibility of using a community-supported agriculture program to increase access to and intake of vegetables among federally qualified health center patients. For more information see her OHSU profile. You can reach Andrea at baron2@pdx.edu.
Josiah Colbert
Josiah “Josi” Colbert is a Ph.D. student and graduate teaching assistant for the Sociology Department. Josiah’s research interests include Technology, Inequality, and Domination. Josiah’s dissertation is supervised by Dr. Jose Padin. They are currently a graduate student representative and can be reached at colber2@pdx.edu.
Natalie J. Cholula
Natalie is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in the Sociology Department. She is a graduate research assistant for Urban Studies at Portland State University, working with Dr. Lisa Bates on the Evicted in Oregon research project, investigating tenants’ experiences with eviction. In this study, Natalie conducts qualitative data collection and analysis, which includes facilitating focus groups and analyzing data. Natalie has also written public reports on the outcomes and impacts of eviction and appeared in the media discussing recent reports. For more information, see evictedinoregon.com. Natalie is also a doctoral research assistant at Evident Change, a nonprofit that uses data and research to improve social systems. At Evident Change, she supports a project funded by the National Institute of Justice focusing on girls' and young women’s involvement in or desistance from gangs in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas. In this project, she provides guidance to local researchers on recruitment activities and interviewing skills for engaging study participants in reflective interviews. Natalie’s research interests include crime, law, and deviance, the sociology of law, and the sociology of mental health. Natalie’s dissertation study is titled “Extended Parental Separation: Examining the Harms of Immigration Policy on Mexicans and Central Americans,” and it focuses on how the merging of criminal law and immigration law is impacting immigrants’ well-being. Dr. Melissa Thompson supervises her dissertation. In 2023, Natalie received the PSU Virginia Cain Endowment Award, and in 2024, she received the PSU Sociology Department Outstanding Graduate Student Award. You can contact Natalie at ncholula@pdx.edu.
Curriculum Vitae.
Fourth-Year Ph.D. Students
Alexis Lisandro Guizar Diaz
Alexis Lisandro Guizar Diaz is a third-year student in the Sociology Ph.D. program and a current Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Sociology Department. His research interests broadly revolve around environmental sociology, political ecology, rural & agrarian communities, water, agriculture, and Latinx populations. His most recent project explored the social and economic effects of groundwater depletion in Washington state's Columbia River basin. Alexis also serves as the interim president of the Graduate Employees Union of PSU and as the field department manager for Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), Oregon’s largest farmworker and Latinx advocacy organization. You can reach Alexis at guizar@pdx.edu.
Third-Year Ph.D. Students
June Jenkins
June is currently a graduate student in the sociology Ph.D. program and a graduate teaching assistant in the sociology department. Her research interests include crime law, and deviance and their intersection with class, power and inequality. She is currently working on research looking at employment for individuals exiting prison. Her thesis advisor is Dr. Melissa Thompson. June can be reached at junj2@pdx.edu
Second-Year Ph.D. Students
Madi Lou Alexander
Madi Lou (they/them) is a current graduate student and teaching assistant in the Sociology Department. Their research interests include gender and sexuality, with an emphasis on transgender studies. Madi Lou’s current thesis project is titled “Beyond Craigslist Personal Ads: Contemporary Usage of the Label t4t,” examining what interpersonal trans* relationships look like for the individuals participating in them. Madi Lou is currently a graduate student representative for the department. Outside of PSU, Madi Lou serves as a committee member on the Pacific Sociological Association’s Committee on the Status of LGBTQIA+ Persons in Sociology. Madi Lou welcomes you to contact them at xmadi@pdx.edu.
Heather Costa
Heather Costa (she/her) is currently a graduate student in the Sociology PhD Program. Her main research interests include social and political polarization, the effects of mass media and pop culture on the perception of transgender people in society and the effect of outside interest groups on the education system.
Her current thesis, ”Controlling the Curriculum: A Content Analysis of PragerU’s Children’s Educational Material” , is a qualitative content analysis project analyzing the educational material produced by conservative media outfit PragerU. Her thesis advisor is Dr. Daniel Jaffee. She received her bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in political science from the University of Nevada, Reno. Heather can be reached at heathcos@pdx.edu.
Emmanuel Legarreta
Emmanuel is a second-year graduate student in the Sociology PhD program. He graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health. His main areas of interest include medical sociology, health disparities, and labor movements. He is currently a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Sociology Department. You can reach Emmanuel at emmalega@pdx.edu
Gabby Mota
Gabriella Mota is a second-year student in the Sociology PhD Program at Portland State University. She currently holds a position as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Sociology Department. Her research interests include intersectionality, social mobility, and political sociology. Gabby graduated from the University of Portland in May 2022 with a BA in Sociology and a concentration in Criminology. She can be reached at motagab@pdx.edu.
Bodhi Norton
Bodhi Norton (they/them) is a graduate student in the Sociology MS program. Their research focuses on drug use, harm reduction, and deviance. Bodhi double-majored in Criminal Justice Studies and Sociology, and received their bachelor’s degree from Keene State College in 2021. Bodhi is also a trained Recovery Coach and completed their training in 2019. They can be reached at bknorton@pdx.edu.
Nahal Rastegarpour
Nahal has two Bachelor’s Degrees, one in English Literature and one in sociology (PSU alumni). She is currently a graduate student in the Sociology Ph.D. program and her research interests include Law, Criminology, and Deviance. She is seeking to explore the connection between generational incarceration and how to disrupt the systematic traumatization of BIPOC communities. Nahal hopes to pursue these interests through a mixed-methods approach by using interviewing for first hand accounts and quantitative data, in order to provide solutions to mass incarceration. From 2022-2023, Nahal worked as a Research Assistant at PSU for the Geography department, aiding Dr. Jola Ajibade, Axcelle Campana, and Kate Gregory in exploring the effects of gentrification on Portland’s BIPOC communities and the lack of ecological equity which they face. During the summer of 2023, Nahal interned for the College to County program, working for the Department of Community Justice through the Stabilization and Readiness Program. Here she was working alongside justice involved individuals, (probation and parole clients working through Mental Health Court) providing them with services, resources, and support. E-mail: Nahal@pdx.edu. Link to: Nahal's CV
Sri Lakshmi Vedantam
Sri is a second-year graduate student in the Sociology Ph.D. Program at Portland State University, with a background in Population Studies, holding an M.Phil. and M.Sc. Her research interests include population dynamics and their implications for development, health, social networks, aging, technology, environment, and inequalities. Her goal is to contribute to a more equitable and sustainable world, harmonizing human society with our environment. Passionate about contributing valuable insights to these societal issues, she is excited to collaborate with the academic community at Portland State University. She can be reached at srilakv@pdx.edu.
First-Year PhD Students
Amya Bradley-Woods
Amya Bradley-Woods is a first year graduate student in the Sociology PhD program at Portland State University. She also serves as a teaching assistant in the Sociology department. Amya received her Bachelor’s Degree double majoring in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Oregon in June 2024. Her research interests include mental health, racial stratification, urban sociology, and community based participatory research. Amya can be reached at brad34@pdx.edu
Jae Collett
Jae Collett (they/them) is a first-year graduate student in the Sociology PhD program at Portland State University. They received their bachelor’s degree in 2024 from Brigham Young University. Jae is interested in gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, and the criminal legal system. Jae can be reached at jcollett@pdx.edu
Clover Javurek-Humig
Clover Javurek-Humig is a first-year graduate student in the Sociology PhD program at Portland State University. Their research focuses on the treatment and politicization of unhoused people. Clover received their B.S. in Sociology from Portland State University in 2024. They currently work as a Graduate Mentor for the University Studies Department at PSU. Clover can be reached at javur2@pdx.edu.
Carla Edith Jimena
Carla is a tenured faculty at the University of the Philippines Los Banos and is currently pursuing her graduate doctoral degree in Sociology at Portland State University. She has served as an instructor, adjunct faculty and currently as University Studies Graduate mentor at PSU. She has been actively involved in social science research in various capacities as a project leader, community organizer, social development specialist, team member in several action research in underserved communities in the Philippines. Carla is a believer of authentic learning and community-engaged scholarship. She discourses that knowledge is co-created and co-produced with the local community drawing from their authentic and lived experiences.
Her academic journey is grounded in the disciplines of sociology, human ecology, development management, and public policy. Her curiosity centers on analyzing human ecosystems and how the dynamics of power and inequality in communities, institutions and organizations as it interplay with nature, livelihoods and culture. She has led public service, extension and research projects focusing on community engagement and social justice work. She has published articles, agency reports and book chapters in various research themes affecting the Philippines.
Carla sees herself as a global citizen who is ready to make a positive difference in the lives of many in the world. She has served as a Board Member/ Secretary of the Fulbright Oregon Chapter and a member /Past President of the Rotary Club of Los Banos Makiling and current member of Rotary International. Ms. Carla Gonzales Jimena was a recipient of the Senator William J. Fulbright scholarship and is supported by the Philippine government. You can reach Carla at cjimena@pdx.edu.
Robert Northman
Robert Northman is a first-year PhD student in Sociology. He studied as an undergraduate at Portland State University where he majored in Social Science with a Civic Leadership minor. After graduating Summa Cum Laude with his BS in 2022, Robert was admitted into the Master of Urban Studies program at Portland State’s Toulan School of Urban Studies & Planning. After struggling to fit in and ultimately failing, Robert requested a program change to the Sociology program, where he subsequently fled and currently disturbs his colleagues. His research primarily focuses on the conflict between society and anti-society. Robert is a convicted criminal and is legally considered untrustworthy; meaning, no matter what level of education attained, he can never enjoy a right to bear arms, serve in the military, or serve on a jury in a felony criminal case; he is similarly ineligible for many jobs, licenses, housing, etc. that require a background check and trustworthiness; he cannot vote or run for public office in many places, which, sadly, is one of the only reasons why he remains in Oregon where he can at least vote (for now). You can reach Robert at northman@pdx.edu.
Tamara Ogle
Tamara Ogle (she/her) is a current graduate student and teaching assistant in the Sociology department pursuing a PhD. Her research interests include gender, immigration, social mobility, social stratification and political discourse. She received her BA in Sociology and MA in Social Research and Analysis from Montclair State University. She’s worked in DEI and Data Analysis in both Finance and Higher Education, which has given her praxis with the dynamics of race, gender, and power in workplace settings. Her current research, “From Minx to Mammy and Then You’re Out The Door”: Racialized Perceptions of Gender and Age of Women of Color in the American Corporate Workplace During Times of Economic Uncertainty, qualitative analysis uncovering the strategic tactics women of color employ to navigate and rise in their careers in the shadow of the US’s economic crisis of 2020 to present day. Tamara can be reached via email here: togle@pdx.edu
Eiryn Renouard
Eiryn Renouard is a first-year graduate student in the Sociology PhD program at Portland State University. Her research focuses on police culture. Eiryn received her bachelor's degree in 2019 from Gonzaga University where she triple-majored in Sociology, English, and Economics. She has worked at the National Policing Institute in Washington D.C. for the last five years, where she co-authored publications on the impacts of police culture, firearms regulations, and community-police relationships. Eiryn can be reached at eirynr@pdx.edu.
Non-Thesis Master's Students
Abigail Kraus
Abigail S. Kraus (she/they) is a first-year student in the non-thesis Master’s program, with a research focus in the application of sociological theory to crime trends. She graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor's degree in sociology and criminology. She would like to pursue a PhD in sociology, once she can secure the funding for such an endeavor. She has contributed on two published sociological research reports, during their time as an undergraduate intern at the Utah Foundation. You can reach Abigail at abikraus@pdx.edu.