Research

Sociology Faculty Research Interests and Areas of Specialization

UWM’s designation as an R1 institution indicates robust research activity, and the Sociology Department fills a critical role in social science research at UWM. Our faculty have a broad range of research areas. Prospective graduate students should browse the faculty pages to identify a good fit between our research areas and their interests.

UWM prides itself on our undergraduate research programs. As early as freshman year, students can build their resume through hands-on research experience. Prospective and current undergraduate students can reach out directly to faculty to inquire about research opportunities in their area or work through the Office of Undergraduate Research.

See the latest Sociology Research News.

Marcus Britton

• Associate Professor, Sociology
• Affiliated Assoc. Professor, Urban Studies

• britton@uwm.edu
• 414-544-3494

Urban Sociology; Racial Segregation & Integration; Racial & Place-based Inequality

Esther Chan

• Associate Professor, Sociology
• Director of Undergraduate Studies

• chane@uwm.edu
• 414-229-4388

Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration; Religion; Science and Medicine; Gender and Sexuality; Mixed Methods

Noelle Chesley

• Associate Professor, Sociology
• Faculty Affiliate, Women and Gender Studies

• chesley@uwm.edu
• 414-229-2398

Social Implications of Data and Technology; Gender; Work and Family; Health and Well-Being

Cary Costello

• Director, LGBT Studies Program
• Associate Professor, Sociology

• costello@uwm.edu
• 414-229-4389

Sociology of the Body; Sex and Gender; Sociology of Sexuality; Intersectional Identity; Science, Technology, and Medicine Studies

Gordon Gauchat

• Associate Professor, Sociology

• gauchat@uwm.edu
• 414-229-2236

Social Inequality; Environmental Sociology; Political Economy; Science, Culture-Cognition and Quantitative Methods

Jennifer Jordan

• Professor, Sociology
• Professor, Urban Studies
• Affiliated Faculty, History

• jajordan@uwm.edu
• 414-229-4388

Urban Sociology; Sociology of Culture; Theory; Europe/Germany; Sociology of Food; Beer and Brewing

Timothy O'Brien

• Professor, Sociology
• Department Chair, Sociology

• obrien34@uwm.edu
• 414-229-4388

Sociology of Law; Sociology of Science/Knowledge; Political Sociology; Sociology of Religion

Kent Redding

• Associate Professor Emeritus, Sociology

• kredding@uwm.edu
• 414-229-6946

Political Sociology; Comparative/Historical; Social Movements; Race and Ethnic Conflict

Aki Roberts

• Professor, Sociology
• Affiliated Professor, Urban Studies

• aki@uwm.edu
• 414-229-6943

Criminology, Crime Justice Outcome, Motor Vehicle Theft, Japanese Crime, National Incident Based Reporting Systems (NIBRS)

John Roberts

• Professor, Sociology
• Director of Graduate Studies, Sociology

• jmrob@uwm.edu
• 414-229-6944

Social Networks; Quantitative Methods; Mathematical Sociology; Criminology

Sociology Research News

• Professor Timothy O’Brien Presents Research on Religion and Science at National Conference

  Professor Timothy O’Brien presented his paper, “Religion, Science, and Moral Decision Making in the United States,” at the annual meetings of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion in Denver, Colorado. The paper builds on O’Brien’s research on public perceptions of science, using national survey data to examine how people from different religious communities …
• Professor Jennifer Jordan Featured on WPR and OnMilwaukee for New Book on Wisconsin’s Hop-Growing History

  Professor Jennifer A. Jordan was recently featured on Wisconsin Public Radio’s Wisconsin Today and in an OnMilwaukee article, “New book traces Wisconsin’s hops-growing history,” by senior editor Bobby Tanzilo. Both features highlight Jordan’s new book, Beer Ghosts: In Search of Lost Hops and the Women Who Grew Them, which examines Wisconsin’s 19th-century hop industry and …
• Jennifer A Jordan, author of Beer Ghosts: In Search of Lost Hops and the Women Who Grew Them

  Boswell hosts an evening with UWM Professor of Sociology, History, and Urban Studies Jennifer A Jordan, who appears with Beer Ghosts, her new book that explores the little-known story of the young women who worked on Wisconsin’s hop farms during the 19th century and played a vital role in the rise of America’s breweries.  Tue, …
• New Book Release: Prof. Esther Chan Examines The Limits of Diversity

  We are thrilled to announce that Prof. Esther Chan’s new book, The Limits of Diversity: How Secular and Evangelical Campuses Reproduce Inequality, is now available from NYU Press! In this timely and insightful study, Prof. Chan compares how secular and religious universities navigate diversity, arguing that current approaches often inadvertently reproduce social inequality rather than …
• Prof. Jennifer Jordan’s Book titled Beer Ghosts is scheduled to be released on October 20, 2026.

  To pre-order Prof. Jordan's soon to be released book, Beer Ghosts, In Search Of Lost Hops and the Women Who Grew Them, visit the Press's website by using their link to the article https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/B/bo271049878.html

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