Graduate Students

Alex Smith

My interests are in identity, theory, religion, social psychology, health, and quantitative methodology. My MA thesis analyzes the variables surrounding religion and health. I am examining how people's secular spiritual beliefs in the United States are associated with different health outcomes.

Amber Robinson

I'm a second-year graduate student in the applied sociology concentration. My internship focuses on identifying educational obstacles that can be alleviated for asynchronous and twice-exceptional (2E) college students. My future educational and career plans are to target the problem of socioeconomic disparities in professional and educational settings.

Chris Burton

I am a thesis-track student in the Sociology MA program. My Interdisciplinary Studies bachelor's degree emphasized Culture and Health and also Human Development and Learning. My work experience in the medical field inspires my current research interests: learning how LGBTQ+ communities contend with healthcare disparities and expanding queer theory and methods in the social sciences.

Daniel Martin

I am a first-year graduate student on the thesis track and I'm a father to three girls. I've worked for Fortune 500 companies in Boston, MA and I earned my bachelor's degrees in Sociology and Clinical Psychology from ETSU. My research experience includes distracted learning outcomes and the behavioral neuroscience of addiction. 

Karen Hoefer

I'm currently writing my MA thesis on the long-term quality of life of adults who have attempted suicide. I received an ETSU School of Graduate Studies research grant to fund my study. My thesis relies on mixed methods--survey research and qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews.

Mack Swiney

I'm a graduate student pursuing both the applied and thesis tracks. I'm a non-traditional student with degrees in Sociology, Information Technology, and Engineering. My research interests include Big Data, forensic sociology, radical feminist theory, and Sociology of Science Fiction.

Makena Nail

Prior to joining the MA program with a concentration in applied sociology, I earned bachelor's degrees in Sociology and History. I worked in the Applied Social Research Lab (ASRL) for two years as an undergraduate; as a graduate student, my work at ASRL now includes more research-related tasks. My current interests are Sociology of Religion, Applied Sociology, and Survey Methodology. I would like to continue on to get my PhD after earning my degree.

Oceane Tanny

I am a graduate student and research intern in the department of Sociology and Anthropology at East Tennessee State University (ETSU), where I earned bachelor's degrees in Sociology and History. My current research interests include medical sociology, medical law, social law and international law.

Olivia Moses

I'm completing my MA thesis, which focuses on people who are affected by Borderline Personality Disorder. I hope to pursue a PhD in either Sociology or Clinical Psychology after graduating.

 Seth Ryans 

I came to ETSU as a community college transfer student and earned my bachelor's degree in sociology. My interests as a thesis track student include gender, sexuality, heavy metal subculture and the social aspects of video games. 

Shelly LaLonde

I'm writing my MA thesis, which is titled, "Behind the Screens: Understanding the Social Structures in the Video Gaming Industry." My qualitative interviews explore the gaming industry from workers' perspectives, particularly their experiences with social inequality in the workplace.

Sydney Laws

I'm an accelerated bachelor's to master's degree student in sociology at ETSU, pursuing the applied sociology concentration. In Spring 2020, I will graduate with my BA degree in sociology; in Spring 2021, I will finish my second (and final) year of the MA program. My interests include medical sociology, applied sociology, and gender inequality.