Graduate Student Spotlight

Amber Obermaier

Areas of Interest

Food Insecurity & Food Systems
Stratification & The Life Course

Advice for Potential Graduate Students

Take your time to do your research into the program and its professors and have a clear plan of what you want to get out of your time there. Also, find ways to connect to the campus, especially in the areas you are passionate about!

Post-Graduation Plan

After graduation in May, I will be starting my Ph.D. in Sociology at Colorado State University.

Current Research Interest(s)

My research interests are in food insecurity, food systems, stratification, and the life course. Specifically, I am interested in the ramifications of college and adolescent food insecurity, especially on one's mental health and sense of agency.

Favorite Class(es)

My favorite class was the Seminar on Social Inequality with Dr. Zajicek. This class grew my abilities as a critical thinker and was filled with so many great minds that challenged me every class.

Hobbies and Extracurriculars

In my free time, I frequent Puritan Coffee & Beer or Old Pine either completing assignments or meeting up with friends. I also like to take advantage of the great hiking trails in the area and, when I have time, take yoga classes.

Favorite Graduate School Moment

My favorite moment has been serving on the board of the Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry this past school year. Within this position, I help run day-to-day operations of the pantry, care for our community garden, and educate the campus on SNAP benefits. I have gotten to work with others passionate about food insecurity and learn so much in the process.

Bryce Kirk

Areas of Interest

Terrorism

Advice for Potential Graduate Students

I think my advice would be to always take a step back and look around at where you are and what you've accomplished, and that each step we take is in the right direction. Even if the journey feels impossible, you're on the way! I'd also say remember to take some time for yourself and relax a little when you can.

Post-Graduation Plan

My definitive plan is to travel a bit in the next couple months while I explore employment opportunities, which include a career with the United States Military and federal law enforcement.

Current Research Interest(s)

The topic that I've had the most interest in is probably the study of terrorism. It's been an interest of mine since I was in the Terrorism Research Center (TRC). I think it's an important topic to understand in the world today, and I've been able to learn a great deal about it from resources we have.

Favorite Class(es)

Probably Dr. Shields's class about human trafficking. The breadth of knowledge for each subject was eye opening and helped me become more aware of the situation not just in the U.S., but around the world.

Hobbies and Extracurriculars

I enjoy outdoor activities the most when I'm have a chance, such as fly fishing, disc golf, walking around Lake Fayetteville, or riding my bike down the greenway.

Favorite Graduate School Moment

It's difficult to find my favorite moment in grad school, but one that stands out was being able to meet a few of the GA's in the cohort before us in Dr. Harris's seminar class via zoom during my first year. It was really encouraging to hear from them, and it made me excited for the experience that was to happen over the next two years. Being now at the end of that experience, I think about their advice and encouragement often.

Austin Barber

Areas of Interest

Terrorism & Extremism
Human Trafficking & Transnational Crime
Foreign Policy
Wildlife Criminology

Advice for Potential Graduate Students

I would highly recommend going to graduate school if someone is looking to go into the applied fields of sociology or criminology/criminal justice. It really expands the student's portfolio/resume for a career field that is beginning to seek more qualified and educated employees.

Post-Graduation Plan

After graduating, I will be continuing my education by pursuing a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice at Michigan State University.

Current Research Interest(s)

I have several passion topics within the field of criminology, including terrorism/extremism, human trafficking, transnational crime, foreign policy, and wildlife criminology. The topic I am most invested in is organized crime, ranging from street/prison gangs to mafias/cartels, including their evasion of law enforcement, secrecy, and ingenuity.

Favorite Class(es)

My favorite graduate class at the University of Arkansas was Human Trafficking with Dr. Chris Shields. The class really opened my eyes to just how pervasive human trafficking is in almost every country in the world. Dr. Shields was additionally an exemplarily professor that was able to keep and hold everyone's interest.

Hobbies and Extracurriculars

Two of my favorite activities outside the university are going to local breweries and fly fishing. Northwest Arkansas is a haven for both.

Favorite Graduate School Moment

My favorite moment as a graduate student was attending the American Society of Criminology (ASC) conference in Chicago. I really enjoyed meeting some of the greatest minds in the field of criminology and learning about their current research projects.

Treyce (Joseph) Williams

Areas of Interest

Temporal & Spatial aspects of Crime
Spatial Relationship Between Places of Worship & Criminal Activity

Advice for Potential Graduate Students

I would recommend that students considering graduate school really do their research on different faculty members they would be interested in working with if they were to be accepted. Additionally, I would encourage students to consider how getting a graduate degree would fit into their ultimate career goals.

Post-Graduation Plan

Upon graduation, I will pursue a career in crime analysis with a local law enforcement agency!

Current Research Interest(s)

My passion topic in Criminology is how crime varies temporally and spatially. Specifically, the topic I have primarily focused on is the spatial relationship between places of worship and criminal activity.

Favorite Class(es)

My favorite graduate course thus far has been Dr. Drawve's Spatial Analysis of Social Data course! It is not only one of the most interesting courses I have taken but also one of the most practical. You walk out of the class with a working knowledge of how to use ArcGIS Pro, a mapping software used for representing and analyzing data.

Hobbies and Extracurriculars

Outside of the university I like to spend a lot of time at Razorback sporting events. Additionally, I spend time traveling, doing photography, and thrifting for my resale page (@holdem.vintage).

Favorite Graduate School Moment

My favorite moment from grad school has been successfully defending my master’s thesis! It was a beyond rewarding experience to develop and execute a project of that magnitude.

Eric Castro

Areas of Interest

The Study of Arson

Advice for Potential Graduate Students

For students who are thinking about graduate school, I would recommend and encourage the development and maintenance, however it may be, of the ability to cope. Graduate school is not easy and requires a great deal of effort and discipline to function. There are times when you will struggle, and the ability to cope is detrimental over the course of schooling. Forgiveness of yourself when you struggle, and the perseverance to push forward as a result are qualities that I believe students will find most useful in their time in graduate school.

Post-Graduation Plan

After graduating with my MA, I have two options that I aim to pursue. I either aim to earn a second Master's, entering the workforce, or doing both concurrently. I relish the idea of continuing to develop, and I yearn for this constant growth where I find that I am at a time in my life where I have the most opportunity to continue to pursue multiple goals. While I do not wish to earn a doctorate at this time, I would like to continue developing with my education.

Current Research Interest(s)

The topic I find most interesting as it pertains to criminology is the study of arson. I love the discussion and implications that regard arson, as it may be committed without the intentionality of causing harm, but still retain malicious intent towards someone or something. There is something fascinating about the conscientious decision in target selection in this manner that I find exciting to dive into and explore.

Favorite Class(es)

My favorite class that I have taken throughout the graduate program I would say is Human Trafficking, taught by Dr. Christopher Shields. Despite the intense nature of the course material, I felt I was able to develop writing skills and context specific understandings towards how Human Trafficking, and the situations in which crime may be committed. Through this class, I learned a great wealth on how different locations throughout the world respond to Human Trafficking and am now better informed on the systematic weaknesses and functions that occur because of Human Trafficking.

Hobbies and Extracurriculars

When I have time outside of Graduate School, I primarily train and practice in Ballroom Dancing. I have been a competitive ballroom dancer for slightly over 5 years and push myself to improve technique whenever I can. I assist a dance studio in Rogers, Arkansas with performances occasionally in the community, via teaching, entertainment at private events, and demonstrations. I am fortunate to have a wonderful and consistent dance partner with whom I train with and continue to grow and develop with. This growth coming both as a dancer and as a person. Aside from dancing, I enjoy typical video games, anime, and finding great food spots around town.

Favorite Graduate School Moment

My favorite moment of being in graduate school I would have to say passing a statistics course, where I severely struggled and worked continuously with for an entire semester. The relief, joy, and elation I felt in passing after such a great deal of effort was pure euphoria that I believe I will never forget.

Alina Rudakova

Areas of Interest

Informational Propoganda
Radicalization
Terrorism

Advice for Potential Graduate Students

Have an idea about how graduate school will be beneficial to your future and do research on your program and possible career plans. Recognize that intense research and writing is a part of the graduate program; if that is something you do not enjoy - it could be very challenging. Additionally, the workload in the graduate program is more time-consuming and requires more commitment, so procrastination in could be very costly. However, if you commit to the graduate program, it will reward you with irreplaceable skills and bonds with exceptional mentors and researchers of the field.

Current Research Interest(s)

Currently, I am interested in researching the misrepresentation of information, propaganda, and radicalization via social media. It is truly fascinating to see how social media and the utilization of mass media are constantly evolving and changing, although not always in a positive way. To me, this is still a gray area that needs much research.

Favorite Class(es)

I have two favorite graduate classes so far: terrorism and criminological theory. The class on terrorism helped me realize how limited my knowledge is of global and domestic forms of terrorism and how complex the phenomenon is. In criminological theory, in every class, I was challenged to think critically about various theoretical perspectives. This class helped me to dissect theoretical approaches, link them to one another, and see how even early theoretical perspectives can still be vastly relevant to present social issues.

Hobbies and Extracurriculars

Most of my free time I spend at home playing PC games like RPGs and MOBAS; in cases when I have vitamin D deficiency, I go outside for walks (doesn’t happen often).

Favorite Graduate School Moment

My favorite moment while being in grad school was when we would have super awkward moments in criminological theory or research methods classes that made us all laugh and have fun together. Frequently we remind each other of those moments, and it still makes us smile; it shows how much our cohort bonded over these semesters. It is something I will cherish forever.

Obed Asare

Areas of Interest

Critical Criminology
Concepts of Capitalism, Inequality, & the Power Structure

Advice for Potential Graduate Students

If you’re considering a career path toward the field of finding solutions to social problems like crime, poverty, terrorism, and analyzing social data, then I highly recommend the Graduate school of Sociology and Criminology at U of A! Professors are filled with in-depth knowledge and always keep students on their toes to be able to apply concepts and theories to solve real world problems.

Current Research Interest(s)

My obsessed topic in studying Criminology in grad school is Critical Criminology. Critical Criminology challenges the traditional theories that explain crime in the US and explicates the concepts of capitalism, inequality, and the power structure – typical of the US society – that are integral to understanding crime and its control. I am fascinated and thrilled by how it downplays other theories even though the traditional approaches – especially –explain crime in a multi-dimensional and profound way.

Favorite Class(es)

I couldn’t afford to miss Terrorism and Criminology class in grad school; because while I was being equipped with knowledge of how people commit crimes and find solutions to them, I consequently understood how and why individuals radicalize to commit terrorist attacks and violent extremism on similar theoretical frameworks. I found it very interesting when theories and mechanisms learned in one class usually revealed themselves in another class to easily give a diverse explanation of how problems can be solved.

Favorite Graduate School Moment

I am inspired by one of my favorite professor’s profound knowledge areas in various areas and how he easily applies concepts to get social problems solved in class. Additionally, being in grad school made me realize that I need to learn a great deal if I want to contribute my quota to change the world!

Anna Wahls

Areas of Interest

Social Determinants of Health
Markers of Individuals' Emotional & Physical Wellness

Advice for Potential Graduate Students

For prospective students, I would suggest exploring any topics you might find remotely interesting even if you have a passion for a specific topic. While it is important to narrow your research interests, graduate school allows you to work with professors who can help you refine or combine multiple focuses.

Current Research Interest(s)

Broadly speaking, my interests revolve around the social determinants of health. Understanding what impacts an individual’s physical and emotional wellness is important to me. I would like to ultimately help improve health policies and interventions.

Favorite Class(es)

The Race and Racism seminar taught by Dr. Nino was excellent. It challenged me to reconceptualize both terms with contemporary consequences.

Hobbies and Extracurriculars

Aside from academics I prefer to spend my time outdoors, find the best food trucks, and wishfully look at adoptable pets online.

Favorite Graduate School Moment

One of the best moments was when a few of us decided to de-stress by going to a kickboxing class together.

Gift Onwuadiamu

Areas of Interest

Informational Propoganda
Radicalization
Terrorism

Advice for Potential Graduate Students

If you believe and work towards your goals, you will achieve it.

Current Research Interest(s)

My research interest is social inequality. This topic has better enlightened my understanding of individuals and society. It has also helped to be objective with issues in the social system.

Favorite Class(es)

All classes have been exciting for me. I believe all classes taken so far have amazingly impacted me. Kudos to all professors.

Hobbies and Extracurriculars

I love going to different international grocery stores, implementing humanitarian services, and cooking sometimes.

Favorite Graduate School Moment

My favorite moments in grad school, are when I finish my project and assignments. There is this unexplained relieve and joy, I get from completing a project.

Kimmie Hawkins

Areas of Interest

Criminal Courts
Sentencing
Wrongful Conviction

Advice for Potential Graduate Students

If academia is your passion — pursue it, but be ready to be committed, dedicate much of your time to it, and work hard.

Current Research Interest(s)

The topic that interests me is inequality in the criminal justice system, specifically in the courts. I am interested in how the culture of the courts and community could lead to sentencing disparities.

Favorite Class(es)

My favorite graduate classes so far have been criminology theory and data analysis because the knowledge from those classes is applicable to research.

Hobbies and Extracurriculars

In my free time I like to relax by reading or watching shows.

Favorite Graduate School Moment

My favorite moments in grad school so far have been bonding with other members of my cohort.

Collin Huntzinger

Areas of Interest

Social Institutions Impact on Crime Rate

Advice for Potential Graduate Students

It took me quite a bit of thinking and communication with friends and family to decide if I would attend graduate school. Ultimately, I realized I have a passion for this area of study, and pursuing a further education was what would benefit me the most. It was definitely the right decision.

Current Research Interest(s)

Sociology and criminology are closely related, so it becomes difficult to nail down a specific passion. Generally speaking, I enjoy trying to answer the "Why" questions the public often asks, which require both a criminologist and sociologist perspective.

Favorite Class(es)

My favorite graduate class thus far would have to be the introduction pro-seminar. Some wouldn't consider this a technical class in the sense of assignments and lectures, but the lessons taught are valuable in and out of the academic sphere. Initially, taking the class, I assumed most of what was discussed would not apply to me, but quickly after, I realized I kept referring back to the topics discussed in order to aid me in finishing my first year.

Hobbies and Extracurriculars

Outside of the academic program, I enjoy being outside as much as possible. Even when there is little free time, taking the dog for a walk is a good study break.

Favorite Graduate School Moment

So far, my favorite moment in graduate school was building connections with my peers, the faculty and staff. Also, the abundance of coffee is a plus.