Faculty & Staff

The department is located in the Kegel Liberal Arts Building #4 on the third floor. The Sociology and Criminal Justice office is in room 307 and the Social Work office is in room 323.


Administrative Assistants

Debbie Francis
Phone: (208) 282-2170
Fax: (208) 282-4733

Kevin W.Owens, BA
Phone: (208) 282-3377
Fax: (208) 282-4733

Department Chair

Gesine K. Hearn, PhD
Phone: (208) 282.4947
Fax: (208) 282-4733

Mailing Address

Department of Sociology, Social Work & CriminalJustice
Idaho State University
921 S. 8th Avenue, Stop 8114
Pocatello, ID 83209



Alphabetical List of Faculty

Teresa Casey, PhD                      profile
Chair/Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
Phone: (208) 282-2576
Office: Kegel Liberal Arts 363

PH.D., University of California at Davis, 2011
M.A., University of California at Davis, 2004
B.S., Oregon State University, 2002

Specialty Areas: Criminology, Stratification, and Relationships

Research Interests: the connection between emotions and offending and how prison programs impact reentry for gang members


Candace Christensen, PhD                      profile
Assistant Professor
Phone: (208) 282-2546
Office: Kegel Liberal Arts 354

Ph.D., University of Utah, 2012
M.S.W., University of Utah, 2008
B.A., University of Texas at Dallas, 1997

Specialty Areas: Sexual Violence Prevention, Macro Social Work Practice and Feminist- Multicultural Therapeutic Practices

Research Interests: Feminist Research Methods, Embodied Pedagogies, Leadership Development, Sexual Violence Prevention and Sex Education Practices

Gesine K. Hearn, PhD                      profile
Chair/Associate Professor
Director: Sociology Graduate Program
Phone: (208) 282-4947
Office: Kegel Liberal Arts 306

Ph.D., Friedrich-Alexander-Universitat, Erlangen-Nuremberg, 2006
M.A., Eberhard-Karls-Universitat, Tubingen, Germany, 1993
R.N., Friedrich-Alexander-Universitat, Erlangen-Nuremberg, 1986

Specialty Areas:

Research Interests: Medical Sociology, Sociology of Health and Illness, Families


Ann Hunter, PhD                      profile
Professor
Phone: (208) 282-3463
Office: Kegel Liberal Arts 359

Ph.D., University of North Texas, 1991
M.A., University of North Texas, 1986
B.A., Wheaton College, 1962

Specialty Areas: Undergraduate and graduate social research methods and statistical analysis

Research Interests: Environment and society




Staci Jensen-Hart, MSW, ACSW, LCSW                      profile
Associate Professor
Phone: (208) 282-3369
Office: Kegel Liberal Arts 353

M.S.W., University of Utah, 1987
B.A., Boise State University, 1983

Specialty Areas: Social Work Practice Courses, Field Practicum

Research Interests: Children and Families focusing on Resiliency Issues of Relationship, Play, Creativity and Spirituality, Social Work Pedagogy focusing on Ethics, Self-Care, Deeper Learning and Student Writing

Jeehoon Kim, PhD                      profile
Assistant Professor
Phone: (208) 282-4438
Office: Kegel Liberal Arts 350

Ph.D., University at Albany, NY, 2011
M.S.W., University at Albany, NY, 2003
M.H.E., Seoul National University, 1997
B.H.E., Seoul National University, 1995

Specialty Areas: Aging and Family Studies, Macro Practice, Social Policy and Quantitative Research Method

Research Interests: Formal and Informal Care, Physical Activity and Health, Aging and Family Policies and Service Utilization by Older Adults and Family Caregivers, and Secondary Data Analysis Method

Gregory C. Leavitt, PhD                      profile
Professor
Phone: (208) 282-4968
Office: Kegel Liberal Arts 362

Ph.D., University of Nebraska, 1976
M.A., University of Bridgeport, 1972
B.A., Central Washington University, 1970

Specialty Areas:



Research Interests: Criminology, Comparative Sociology



Jeremy N. Thomas, PhD             profile             professional webpage
Assistant Professor
Phone: (208) 282-5737
Office: Kegel Liberal Arts 360

Ph.D., Purdue University, 2012
M.S., Purdue University, 2007
M.Div., Asbury Theological Seminary, 2002
B.A., Asbury College, 1997



Specialty Areas: Religion, Sex, Deviance and the Body

Research Interests: Secularization and Modernization, Evangelicalism, Homosexuality, Pornography, Body Modification, Ritual Pain, BDSM, Self-Injury and Sexual Abuse

D J Williams, PhD                      profile
Assistant Professor
Phone: (208) 282-2929
Office: Kegel Liberal Arts 349

Ph.D., University of Alberta, 2004
M.S.W., M.S., University of Utah, 2000
B.S., Weber State University, 1992

Specialty Areas:


Research Interests: Deviant leisure, forensic leisure science, gambling in prisons, forensic social work, sociology of sexuality, narrative methodology



















Adjunct Faculty

Jennifer Franco, MSW
Adjunct Instructor
Phone: Idaho Falls
Office: Idaho Falls

M.S.W.,


Specialty Areas:

Research Interests:

David V. Wold, DA
Adjunct Instructor
Phone: (208) 282-2987
Office: Kegel Liberal Arts 317

D.A., Idaho State University
B.A., Idaho State University

Specialty Areas:

Research Interests: Relative Deprivation Theory, The Cultural Wars-Domestically, The Economic Process of Globalization and the Global Cultural Wars, Gender and generational analysis



Tina Zavala, MA
Adjunct Instructor
Phone: (208) 282-2987
Office: Kegel Liberal Arts 317

M.A., Idaho State University, 2012
B.A., Idaho State University, 2009

Specialty Areas:

Research Interests: Environmental Sociology


























































































































Emeritus Faculty

James Aho, PhD
Professor Emeritus
Phone: (208) 282-2576
Office: Kegel Liberal Arts 323

Ph.D., Washington State University, 1971
M.A., Washington State University, 1968
B.A., University of Washington, 1965

Specialty Areas:

Research Interests: Religion, Violence, Social Phenomenology, and the Body

Clifford Bryan, PhD
Professor Emeritus



Ph.D., Western Michigan, 1971
M.A., Western Michigan, 1969
B.A., William Penn College, 1966

Specialty Areas:

Research Interests: Criminal Justice, Deviance



Donald Pierson, PhD
Professor Emeritus



D.S.W., University of California, 1984
M.S.W., Tulane University, 1971
B.S., University of Wisconson, Whitewater, 1969

Specialty Areas:

Research Interests: Criminal Justice, Deviance


















Title IV-E Scholars Coordinator

Kimberly Wacaster, MSW, LCSW
Phone: (208) 282-2851
Office: Kegel Liberal Arts 356

M.S.W., Brigham Young University, 2000
B.S., Brigham Young University, 1998

Interests: Children and families, at risk youth, resiliency



Graduate Assistants

Lauren Crosby

Rachel Rowan

Lacey Stewart

Office: Kegel Liberal Arts LA 347


Child Welfare On-Site Trainers

Tara L. Ashley, LMSW
Phone: (208) 239-6237

Carol Fowler, MSSW, LCSW
Phone: (208) 732-1374



Keith B. Orchard, MSW, LCSW
Phone: (208) 665-8959

Melissa Bernier,
Phone: (208) 334-0735