Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology

Assistant Professor of Sociology

The Department of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte is seeking applications for a tenure-track position as Assistant Professor of Sociology to begin August 15, 2018. Applications received by October 29, 2017 are assured full consideration although recruitment will continue until the position is filled. Requirements for this position include 1) a PhD in Sociology or a related field; 2) a strong research agenda that focuses on organizations, occupations, and work; 3) commitment to teaching in a diverse environment; and 4) potential to secure external funding. Ideally, strong candidates’ research will incorporate a micro-level component. This may include, as examples, workplace inequality and diversity, intra-organizational processes, organizational culture, teams and groups, and other related topics.

The Department of Sociology offers the BA and MA in Sociology, and department faculty are core members of interdisciplinary PhD programs in Organizational Science, Public Policy, Health Psychology, Health Services Research, or Public Health. For additional information about our department, visit our website at http://www.sociology.uncc.edu/. The successful candidate will have a tenure home in the Department of Sociology and will serve as a core faculty member in the Organizational Science Doctoral Program. More information on the Organizational Science Doctoral Program is available at http://orgscience.uncc.edu/.

Please apply on-line at http://jobs.uncc.edu (position #7536) and include your curriculum vita, a writing sample, contact information for references, and a statement about teaching (graduate and undergraduate) and research. Please ask your references to email their letters to smoller@uncc.edu with the subject “SEARCH.” As an EOE/AA employer and an ADVANCE Institution that strives to create an academic climate in which the dignity of all individuals is respected and maintained, UNC Charlotte encourages applications from all underrepresented groups. Finalists will be asked during their screening interview to discuss how they address diversity and inclusion while teaching and conducting research. Applicants are subject to criminal background check.

Assistant Professor of Anthropology or Geography

In support of a new Place, Space, and Adaptation PhD program in anthropology that integrates geographic perspectives and techniques, the Department of Anthropology at Colorado State University invites applications for the position of Assistant Professor to begin August 16th, 2018. We are searching for an anthropologist or a geographer who specializes in contemporary human health and well-being in the context of global environmental and/or social change. Candidates who integrate biological, cultural, and geographic perspectives into their research and teaching are preferred, including those that do this from an evolutionary perspective. Candidates need to have a PhD in anthropology, geography, or a related discipline at the time of appointment (Aug. 16th, 2018). To see full position announcement and to apply, please visit: https://jobs.colostate.edu/postings/50177.

By Nov. 3rd, we request (1) a cover letter that addresses required and preferred qualifications (as described in the full job description) as well as pertinent research and teaching interests, (2) curriculum vitae, and (3) a list of three references and their contact information. Letters should be addressed to: Anthropology Search Chair, Position 1: Health & Well-Being Anthropologist/Geographer, Colorado State University, Department of Anthropology, 1787 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1787. Routine inquiries should be directed to Brenda Avery at (970) 491-5447 or Brenda.Avery@Colostate.edu.

Application materials of semifinalist candidates, including letters of reference, will be made available for review by the entire faculty of the Department of Anthropology. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled; however, for full consideration, applications should be uploaded by November 3rd, 2017. CSU is an EO/EA/AA employer and conducts background checks on all final candidates

Assistant Professor of Social Work

The Department of Social Work at the University of Minnesota, Duluth has a full-time, tenure track faculty position available at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor for its MSW program and BSW program beginning August 20, 2018. Job duties and responsibilities include teaching, advising, research, and service.

Required qualifications include a Doctorate in Social Work or related field (e.g., Education, Public Health, Sociology, Psychology, American Indian Studies) completed by time of appointment; a clearly articulated research agenda; active commitment to fostering diversity across campus, the social work curriculum, and the social work department; a Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW) from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education; two years post-MSW Social Work practice experience; and meets eligibility requirements for licensure by the Minnesota Board of Social Work.

The University of Minnesota requires that you apply online for this position. To apply for this position, go to http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/employment/ and search for job opening 320186. Click on the job title to view the job details and application instructions. Complete applications will be reviewed beginning November 6, 2017. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

Paula Nurius Explores Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Adult Health

In a paper published in the Journal of Aging and Health, affiliate and Professor of Social Work Paula Nurius explores the connection between adverse childhood experiences and physical health through pathways including health risk behaviors, social support, lower income, and adult adversity. The results demonstrate that adverse childhood experiences are both directly and indirectly associated with poor adult health outcomes, and align with the theory that facing challenges early in life can lead stress to accumulate and subsequently impair physical health and well-being. CSDE Biodemography Director Eleanor Brindle also contributed to the paper, which is available below.

Eleanor Brindle Examines Reproducibility of Tests for Salivary Cortisol Across Labs

Eleanor Brindle, CSDE Biodemography Lab Manager, co-authored a recent study that examines variability of measurements produced by tests for salivary cortisol among established international academic laboratories. There were nine laboratories included in the study, located in the US, Canada, UK, and Germany. The authors’ findings suggest that measurement error is minimal in established-qualified laboratories, and that lab to lab differences in testing outcomes are not likely to significantly impact the determined salivary cortisol values. The full study is available below.

Noah Snyder-Mackler Involved in Relief Efforts at Research Center Impacted by Hurricane Maria

Affiliate Noah Snyder-Mackler, Assistant Professor of Psychology, is helping with efforts to aid the surrounding community and restore a research station on Cayo Santiago, an island to the southeast of the main island of Puerto Rico that saw major destruction following Hurricane Maria. The research station houses over 1,000 monkeys that are studied by faculty in various disciplines from eight universities, – including UW—and is aptly called Monkey Island. Snyder-Mackler and other researchers are organizing efforts aimed at helping the staff and community on the island and ensuring that the monkeys have access to basic resources, and have created GoFundMe pages to this end. You can read more about Monkey Island and the relief efforts below.

Victoria Sass, Nicole Kravitz-Wirtz, and Affiliates Investigate the Relationship Between Air Pollution and Psychological Distress

CSDE trainee Victoria Sass, alumni fellow Nicole Kravitz-Wirtz, and colleagues (including CSDE affiliates Anjum Hajat and Kyle Crowder) recently authored a study that investigates the impacts of air pollution on psychological distress. The study, published in Health & Place, used nationally representative panel data to examine the connection between psychological stress and exposure to polluted air during the 1999-2011 period. The findings indicate that exposure to air pollution–specifically, PM 2.5 –is associated with an increased level of individual psychological distress, even when adjusted for demographic, health, and socioeconomic controls. The effects of air pollution on psychological outcomes do, however, vary by gender and race. The full study is available below.

CSDE Seed Grant Application Now Available

The CSDE Seed Grant page is now live. The main portal, including a link to the full set of guidelines and instructions, is https://csde.washington.edu/seedgrants

There are three award types. Applications for Tiers 1 and 2 are accepted on a rolling basis and applications for Tier 3 accepted quarterly. The first deadline for Tier 3 grants is November 15, 2017.

We encourage you to think very broadly about the uses that can help move your research forward overall, and especially towards extramural funding. Please don’t hesitate to Steve Goodreau (goodreau@uw.edu) with any questions.

CSDE Informal Training Opportunities for Autumn 2017

Training & research workshops for faculty, staff and students include CSDE’s methodology workshops, as well as the ongoing working groups developing research techniques and programs. The Computational Demography Working Group is an example of the latter. They have just announced their working group lineup. Finally, CSDE trainees have professional development opportunities through regular presentation of their research. Trainees should apply to present their research at the Lightning Talks and Poster Session.

1) CSDE’s Methodology Workshops

Designed to complement formal course instruction, CSDE Workshops are offered in a shorter, more accessible format responsive to the specific demographic research needs of CSDE’s Trainees and Faculty Affiliates. Most workshops meet for 1-3 sessions of a few hours each. To inquire about workshops or request a session on a topic, contact Cori Mar.

2) Computational Demography Lunches

These are informal meetings (i) to discuss topics related to demographic data, computational methods and statistical approaches; (ii) to workshop research in progress; and (iii) to share tools via demos or tutorials.

Here is the calendar for the Autumn quarter (with tentative titles):

–Tue, Oct 24th: Adrian Dobra – Measuring Human mobility and detecting population behavior using cellphone data (Format: Discussion of computational and statistical challenges)
–Tue, Nov 7th: Jessica Godwin – Using INLA for Fast Bayesian Fitting of Latent Gaussian Models: Applications to subnational estimation of under-five mortality (Format: Tutorial/Demo)
–Tue, Nov 14th: Lee Fiorio – Understanding Patterns of Human Mobility at Different Time Scales (Format: workshopping a paper before submission to a demographic journal)
–Tue, Nov. 21st: Ariel Rokem – Homelessness data: Approaches for dealing with sensitive information (Format: Discussion of data challenges and demo)

The meetings will be held in Raitt 114 from 12:00-1:20 PM. Pizza/light refreshments will be served.

Everyone is welcome. Emilio Zagheni will send out more details about the format of each meeting via the computational demography mailing list.

If you would like to receive regular announcements about these meetings you should sign up for this mailing list:
https://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/computational-demog

3) Lightning Talks and Poster Session

Would you like an opportunity to get feedback on your research from an interdisciplinary set of scholars? Would you like to practice your presentation skills, perhaps to help you prepare for PAA or another upcoming conference? Are you taking a class that requires a poster presentation at the end of the quarter? If any (or all) of these apply, we invite you to apply for CSDE’s Lightning Talks and Poster Session, set to take place December 1st!

Eight applicants will be chosen to present a poster of their research and give a short (~2 minute) presentation of their work to CSDE students and faculty. Students at any stage in the research process are welcome to apply.

The deadline to submit your projects is October 16th. You can submit your application through the following link: https://goo.gl/forms/zpY48pTjJM2SIqYo1

We look forward to seeing your submissions! Feel free to reach out to Christine Leibbrand (leibbrce@gmail.com) with any questions you might have.

Neither Here nor There: How the New Geography of Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship Disadvantages African Americans

Mahesh Somashekhar, Department of Sociology, UW

Recent research shows that the foreign born utilize both local and long-distance social relationships to become entrepreneurs, affecting immigrants’ chances at upward mobility and their contributions to economic development. Scholars have yet to assess how African-American entrepreneurs take part in similar types of geographically dispersed business communities. Using multi-level social network analyses and OLS regressions to compare the geography of buyer-supplier ties originating from one immigrant neighborhood and one African-American neighborhood in Chicago, this paper highlights a unique mechanism that places African Americans at a disadvantage compared to immigrants: a lack of geographic diversity in African-American social capital. Immigrant entrepreneurs’ social networks, unlike African Americans’ networks, connect the foreign born to more people in different places, enabling them to circumvent the limitations of their local communities and accrue more business assets. Contrary to existing research, many foreign-born business owners in this study relied on intra-national rather than local or transnational social ties. These findings challenge researchers to reevaluate the geographic foundations of immigrant and African-American entrepreneurship and reexamine how ethnic minority entrepreneurship affects patterns of social stratification and economic development.