The Department of Sociology and Anthropology would like to congratulate and welcome to the rank of Associate Professor Dr. Laura Hart, Dr. Kyler Sherman-Wilkins, and Dr. Marnie Watson! All three began at Missouri State as tenure-track faculty in August of 2017, and have made a lasting mark on the department, university, and broader community.
Meet Our Newest Associate Professors
Dr. Laura Hart is a medical sociologist who received her PhD in Sociology at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign in 2017. Her most recent book, Risk and Adaptation in a Cancer Cluster Town, provides a groundbreaking examination into the ways in which emotion drives community action and inaction. In addition to her upcoming book, Dr. Hart has also published in the journals Ethnography and Qualitative Inquiry and has also worked on community-based projects like the Homelessness Count. A committed and talented instructor, Dr. Hart teaches Social Theory, Medical Sociology, and is developing a course on Global Health and Social Justice. Lastly, Dr. Hart serves as the Sociology Program Coordinator and faculty advisor for Alpha Kappa Delta- the International Honor Society for Sociology.
Dr. Kyler Sherman-Wilkins received his dual-PhD in Sociology and Demography from The Pennsylvania State University in 2017. Dr. Sherman-Wilkins researches the social and structural determinants of health, particularly cognitive health, across the life span. His work has appeared in the journals Geriatrics, the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, and the Journal of Health and Social Behavior. He is an award winning college instructor having received the Missouri State’s highest honors for teaching and advising, and teaches Population, Society, and Public Policy, Research Methodology, and Statistics for Social Research. He is also the Founding Director of the Health Equity Research Collective research group. In terms of service, Dr. Sherman-Wilkins sits on several committees and boards including the CHPA Diversity Council, Missouri Foundation for Health Board, GLO Center Board, Springfield NAACP, and the Midwest Sociological Society’s Nomination Committee.
Dr. Marnie Watson received her PhD in Ethnology from the University of New Mexico in 2015. A cultural anthropologist who specializes in the Brazilian context, Dr. Watson’s research has appeared in journals such as American Anthropologist, the Journal of Anthropological Research, and Human Organization. Dr. Watson also served as a co-editor of the book Refugee Resettlement in the United States: Loss, Transition, and Resilience in a Post-9/11 World. Dr. Watson is a popular instructor, who teaches courses in Medical Anthropology, Linguistic Anthropology, and leads a successful Ethnographic Field School during the summer in which students work in the tiny home community of Eden Village. Dr. Watson Chairs the Department’s Scholarship Committee and is a Founding Director of the Center for Ozarks Poverty Research (COPR). She has a passion for addressing issues of homelessness and poverty in the Ozarks and surrounding area. Dr. Watson received her tenure letter from Provost Jasinski and Dean Matthews surrounded by her family.
Again, congratulations ASSOCIATE Professors Dr. Laura Hart, Dr. Sherman-Wilkins, and Dr. Marnie Watson!