Faculty | Program Name | SIU

Jeremy Allen (he/him/his) is a PhD candidate and Saluki alum, with a Master’s in Public Administration, and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Southern Illinois University. His research interests include systemic racism, crime, social control, and public policy.

Robert T. Frase (he/him/his) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Anthropology, Political Science, and Sociology. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Sociology from Purdue University and a B.A. (Summa Cum Laude) in Sociology from the University of Akron. His research interests include health inequalities, education, intergenerational relations, and mixed-methods research.

Political Science, Sociology

Brittany R. Leach is an Assistant Professor in the School of Anthropology, Political Science, and Sociology. She received a PhD in Political Theory with a secondary concentration in Comparative Politics from the University of Virginia (UVA) and an MA in Political Science & International Affairs from the University of Georgia. Previously, she was a Charlotte Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship at the Citizens & Scholars Foundation and served a two-year term as an Assistant Editor at the journal Political Theory. She has published articles on abortion politics in the American Political Science Review, Contemporary Political Theory, and Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society. Additionally, she is active in public scholarship and community engagement.

Darren Sherkat received his PhD in sociology from Duke University in 1991, and earned a BA in Sociology from the University of Tulsa. He is author of 2 books, an edited volume, over 60 peer-reviewed articles, and dozens of book chapters and book reviews. Before coming to SIU in 2001, he was an Associate Professor of Sociology and Religious Studies at Vanderbilt University. His work has appeared in many of the most prestigious journals in sociology, including American Sociological Review, Social Forces, The Sociological Quarterly, Social Science Quarterly, Social Science Research, and the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 

David Kyle Sutherland is an Assistant Professor in the School of Anthropology, Political Science, and Sociology. Dr. Sutherland received his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of British Columbia. He also holds a Master’s in Criminology from Simon Fraser University and a BA (Hons.) in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. Broadly, Dr. Sutherland’s research addresses core medical and cultural sociological concerns in the study of identity, stigma and inequalities, and social determinants of health.

Dr. Whaley's research and teaching interests are in the sociology of gender and criminology and the intersection of the two subfields. Past research has examined the macro-level correlates of rape and female homicide victimization using data on US cities and micro-level correlates of adolescent substance use. Of particular focus is the role of gender as a social structure on both macro-level and micro-level phenomenon. Dr. Whaley is trained in quantitative research methods and statistical analyses. Current works in progress relate to men’s coping with obesity and how it relates to ideas about masculinity, subjective feelings about gender identity and belief in cultural gender stereotypes, criminal victimization and fear among people opting for life on the road, college students’ views about social inequalities, and explaining trends in traditional gendered expectations. Dr. Whaley also has experience working in applied research centers and is working on developing related courses.

Dr. Wienke joined Sociology in Fall 2008. His work is primarily in the areas of mental health, family, gender, and sexuality.