The Life of a Professor

A few of my main academic adventures over the last year include: serving as editor of the journal Sociology of Education, attending several conferences, and working (slowly) on a forthcoming book.    

Editorial Duties

As Editor of Sociology of Education I receive about 200 manuscripts a year.  I send these out for peer review, and on the basis of these reviews and my own judgment, select the best 16 or so for publication.  

Conference Planning

Over the past year, my most memorable conference experience took place here in Iowa City.  Kevin Leicht and I organized the summer meetings of the Research Committee on Social Stratification and Mobility of the International Sociological Association Conference – popularly known as RC28 - which was held here at the University of Iowa in August 2011.  I had two papers on the program, both of which I coauthored with former students.  These were “Talent Loss of Non-Asian Minorities and Low Socioeconomic Classes in School Context” with Sueuk Park and Ryan Wells and “The Work-to-College Transition: Pathways to College Enrollment for Non-Degreed Working Adults” with Ryan Wells.  Kevin and I are serving as editors of a special edition of Population Review, which will feature a few papers from this conference.

Book Writing

I am currently writing a textbook in the Sociology of Education, which I would really, really like to finish this summer.  I recently co-edited a volume entitled “New Directions in Educational Credentialism” with David Brown.  

Scholarly Collaboration

I am also either conducting or planning research projects with scholars around the United States and the world, including Ryan Wells, Sueuk Park, Greg Wolniak, Luis Ortiz, Chris Swanson, Arch Haller, Letitia Marteleto, and Danielle Fernandes.