and our Staff  Janet Graham and Christy Titus

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Dr. Robin Amonker, a native of Goa, India, has been a member of the department since 1968. He received his Ph.D. in Sociology from St. Louis University in 1973, and his areas of expertise include demography, human ecology, and quantitative methods. His current research interests include population trends and projections, mortality, fertility and family planning. His most recent publications deal with subjects such as demographic change in Missouri and the Missouri Ozarks, as well as mortality, fertility and family planning in India. 

Dr. Amonker teaches SOC 150 (Introduction to Society), SOC 301 (Research Methodology), GEP 397 (Population: Trends, Issues, and Policies), and SOC 505 (Population Analysis).  In his teaching, Dr. Amonker draws on observations from his extensive world travels to bring a worldwide perspective to his curricula.  He is a past recipient of the Missouri State Foundation's Excellence in Teaching Award and in 1999 received the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award for his IDS 110 course.  In 2005, he received a Research Award from the College of Humanities and Public Affairs.

Some of the committees on which Dr. Amonker is currently serving include the University Convocations Committee, the Presidential Scholars Selection Committee and the Springfield Area Planning Forum. 

From 1984 to 2002 Dr. Amonker was advisor to the Association of International Students whose annual dinner and festival of entertainment benefiting UNICEF continues to be one of the most popular events on the Missouri State campus.

Dr. Brinker joined the department of Sociology and Anthropology in 1997 after having completed his Ph.D. at Baylor University. He specializes in applied community research and, as part of his position at Missouri State, serves as the Director of the Center for Social Sciences and Public Policy Research, located on the fourth floor of the Strong Hall on the Missouri State campus.

Dr. Brock teaches SOC 150 (Introduction to Society), SOC 284 (Social Movements), SOC 485 (Social Change), SOC 390 (Sociology of Religion) and SOC 498 (Senior Seminar). Dr. Brock continues to expand his international experiences by participating in scholar exchange programs Most recently he has been in Turkey (1996), Russia (1997) and he spent a semester teaching for the Missouri London Program in London, England (2000). He is active in the local and state community and frequently serves as a consultant to religious, educational and law enforcement organizations.

Dr. Carlie is a native of St. Louis, Missouri, where he graduate from University City High School in 1962. He completed his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts (both in sociology) at the University of Missouri in Columbia and a Ph.D. in sociology from Washington University in St. Louis (1970). The title of his M.A. thesis is Life Satisfaction Among Elderly Rural Missourians while his doctoral dissertation was on Crime in the Later Years of Life. His most recent publication is entitled "Into the Abyss: A Personal Journey into the World of Street Gangs." Click on the title to explore the book.

Dr. Carlie teaches CAS 210  (An Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System), CAS 320 (The Causes of Delinquency and Crime), CAS 350 (The Police in American Society), CAS 397 (a variety of one-hour intersession courses including Capital Punishment, Crime and the Media, Learning to Use the World Wide Web, and Reforming America¹s Prisons) and CAS 480 (The Gang Phenomenon).

Dr. Carlie's AdviseNet web site provides criminal justice students with practical advice concerning their academic and vocational goals. If you are studying criminal justice at Missouri State, or you intend to, visit AdviseNet. Some of the things you'll find at the site are tips on getting better grades, insights on how to use the general education requirement as a criminal justice student, descriptions of what you can do with a CRM [Criminology] degree, search engines for finding jobs, links to graduate schools, and much more.

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Dr. Shahin Gerami received her Master and PhD in Sociology from the University of Oklahoma and a Law Degree from the University of Tehran. She started her teaching career at Missouri State University in 1983.

Dr. Gerami is a professor of Sociology and Gender Studies. She coordinated the Gender Studies Program at Missouri State University from 1995 to 1999. During this time the program grew in terms of faculty participation and the number of students.  Additionally through its affiliated program of Women’s History Month, Gender Studies reached community wide audience.

She delivered a key note address on “Gendered Radicalization of Faith” at Faith-based Radicalism conference at the University Centre St-Ignatius Antwerp, Belgium. Since 2000, Dr. Gerami has collaborated with the United Nation’s High Commission for Refugees in Iran and conducted need assessment of Afghani refugee families. Preliminary results were presented at The 37^th World Congress of International Institute of Sociology in Stockholm 2005.

Among the courses she teaches are Introductory Sociology, Sociology of Gender Roles, Religion Gender and Citizenship, and Race and Ethnic Relations.

Dr. John B. Harms was born and raised in Wilmette, Illinois and graduated from the University of Kansas in 1985 with a Ph.D in Sociology. He came to Missouri State in 1985 and regularly teaches: SOC 309 (Work, Industry & Society); SOC 310 (Social Deviance); SOC 325 (Introduction to Sociological Theory); and GEP 397 (Public Affairs Issues – Engaging Mass Media).

In 1997 Dr. Harms was one of the first recipients of the College of Humanities and Public Affairs teaching awards, and in 1999 received a University teaching award. In 2002 he also received a service award from the College of Humanities and Public Affairs. His research interests include social theory, mass communications, political economy, and the sociology of work. 

Dr. Tim Knapp, a native of Kansas, was graduated from the University of Kansas with a Ph.D. in Sociology in 1991; he joined the Sociology and Anthropology Department in 1989. Dr. Knapp's areas of interest include sociological theory, political economy, complex organizations, and the sociology of education. His current research deals with the social impact of industrialization and economic restructuring, rural development, and class inequality.

Dr. Knapp teaches SOC 150 (Principles of Sociology), SOC 325 (Sociological Theory), and SOC 420 (Social Inequality). He is the faculty advisor to the Sociology Club, and has received numerous teaching awards. He has recently served on the University Scholarship Committee.

Ms. Leamy is an instructor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and an integral part of the Criminology Program.. She earned an M.S. in Criminal Justice Sciences from Illinois State University and is currently working on a doctorate in Educational Administration.  Her dissertation deals with juvenile justice. 

Ms. Leamy has worked as a juvenile probation and detention officer and teaches CAS 320 (Causes of Crime and Delinquency), CAS 370 (Institutional and Community-Based Corrections).  She is our CAS faculty supervisor for the Criminology internship program. She's the one to contact if you are anticipating enrolling in a criminal justice internship, regardless of what kind it is (law enforcement, in the courts, in corrections, etc.).  

Dr. LiYing Li joined the Department of Sociology and Anthropology in 1993, and received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Utah in 1994. Her research interests include gender issues, crime, and demography, particularly in relation to China. Her most recent publications looked at historical crime trends and sexual offenses in China from 1744 to 1903; she is also presently working on research which look at the productive and reproductive roles of Chinese rural women.

Dr. Li Teaches SOC 150 (Principles of Sociology), SOC 201 (Research Methods), and SOC 302 (Statistics for Social Research). She is a member of the national honor society of Phi Kappa Phi, and was a past recipient of the University of California Graduate Scholarship.

Dr. Jeffrey E. Nash, originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, received his Ph.D. from Washington State University in 1971. He taught at the University of Tulsa, and at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota before assuming the position of Head of the Sociology and Anthropology Department in 1995. His recent research concerns the animal rights movement, and he has written on a variety of topics from public life to youth hockey. He is working on integrating research into the undergraduate learning experience. He also has a long standing interest in everyday language.

Dr. Nash teaches SOC 150 (Principles of Sociology), SOC 359 (Social Psychology), and SOC 495 (Senior Seminar). In the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, he was active in youth sport organizations, and his sometimes unusual research (e.g. social life at the Mall of America, or the social character of the English Bulldog) received the attention of local and national media.

Dr. Marvin Prosono, originally from New York, received his Ph.D. from the University of California, San Francisco in 1989, and joined the sociology and anthropology faculty in 1990. His areas of expertise include medical sociology, forensic psychiatry, deviance, criminology, mental health, and the sociology of law. His most current research is a study of Holocaustism as a religious movement.

Dr. Prosono teaches SOC 150 (Principles of Sociology), SOC 302 (Statistics for the Social Sciences), SOC 325 (Sociological Theory), SOC 341 (Medical Sociology), SOC 380 (Sociology of Law), SOC 395 (Structure and Process), and SOC 498 (Senior Seminar). He has recently served as the editor of the Mental Health Section newsletter of the American Sociological Association.

Dr. Martha Wilkerson grew up in south Texas, and migrated north to receive her Ph.D. in Sociology from Oklahoma State University in 1973. In that same year, she joined the faculty at Missouri State to continue her research and teaching in sport, minority relations, and rural studies. Specifically, she has studied collective violence in the 20th century in an analysis of the Detroit Riot of 1945; the role of women coaches in sport; the changing faces of sports' fans when the athletes are women; and the significance of rural life in urban society.

Dr. Wilkerson regularly teaches SOC 150 (Principles of Sociology), SOC 302 (Statistics for Social Research), and SOC 314 (Rural Sociology). She is a past recipient of the Missouri State Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award and the Excellence in Research Award.

Janet Graham

Mrs. Graham came to the Sociology and Anthropology Department from the Missouri State Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation and has been on campus for nearly two years. Most of Mrs. Graham's administrative experience has been in the medical field, but she is definitely enjoying working on the University campus.

Living in Springfield with her husband Rich, they have two sons and two daughters between them. She enjoys reading non-fiction, gardening, and antiquing and says she is very happy to be a part of this college and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

Christy Titus

Mrs. Titus is the department's Administrative Clerk. Born and raised in Springfield, she lives with her husband and children in Rogersville, Missouri. Previously an employee in the field of business, Mrs. Titus joined the department on April 21st, 2003. Among her favorite hobbies is camping at the lake.

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