UR Now: University News
University of Richmond takes a top spot among study abroad programs — again
UR is ranked No. 1 among peer institutions for the second consecutive year.
Department News
New Policy - Sociology courses: All students who have taken SOC 101 are eligible to take sociology electives. A student no longer needs to have SOC 211 or SOC 221 to take 300-level courses.
Anth 310 Ends Semester on a Culinary High Note
To conclude the fall semester, students in Anth 310: Food and Culture shared dishes inspired by nostalgia and personal favorites. The menu featured old-school mac and cheese, Poulet DG (a Cameroonian dish with vegetables, fried plantains, and chicken), Chicken Tikka Masala prepared from a cherished family recipe, lemon pound cake, homemade garlic focaccia, and œufs en meurette—a classic dish from Burgundy (pictured). Students reflected on the course with enthusiasm. One noted that the class revealed that “food is never just food,” highlighting how each reading, film, and assignment uncovered stories of migration, loss, resilience, capitalism, and community—whether discussing corn and NAFTA, the global coffee trade, or Black food justice. Another student wrote that the course showed how politics, culture, and history shape even the most routine act of eating, influencing access to nutritious food and the tastes shaped by class and culture. They added that food connects us to family, home, and personal history, carrying meanings far beyond nourishment.
Panel Discussion: Prison Education in Virginia
This semester in our Sociology of Higher Education class we discussed race, history and inequality recognizing the immense privileges and disadvantages within the system and beyond it. To conclude our unit on Resistance Reform we invite the campus community to join us for a discussion on Prison Education featuring Terri Erwin, PhD, Director of Virginia Consensus for Higher Education and Kenneth Hunter, Organizer with the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. This panel discussion and Q&A will explore current legislation in Virginia, locate prison education policies nationally, and grapple with the challenges of justice, access, and reform. Tuesday, December 2 2:30-4:00 PM Weinstein 314
Modeling Sovereignty: Martine Gutierrez’s "Indigenous Woman" Series
Blending photography, performance, and other media, Martine Gutierrez (American/Mayan, b. 1989) transforms her Indigenous heritage into a bold and imaginative world of high fashion that challenges ideas of identity, beauty, and power. Professor Miguel Diaz-Barriga with independent curator Christina Burke will lead an engaging, image-rich conversation about Gutierrez’s work.
Students form Sociology Club
University of Richmond students are organizing a new Sociology Club on campus. This club hopes to bring more students into the Sociology & Anthropology department, have innovative discussions about sociological topics, connect with both faculty and alumni, and have fun, interactive events on campus! Students of any major or minor are welcome to join and/or help plan events.
Morta Jankauskaite receives 2025 James A. Sartain award
Congratulations to Morta Jankauskaite, recipient of the James A. Sartain award for Outstanding Student in Sociology 2025. Professor Jeff Hass presented Morta the award at the department’s Spring Celebration on April 15th.
Sociology major named a 2025 Truman Scholar
In April, Henrico native Chloe Goode was named a 2025 Truman Scholar — one of just 54 recipients selected from a pool of 743 nominees nationwide. She is the University of Richmond’s ninth Truman Scholar since the prestigious program began in 1977, and the first since 2013. “I am mind-blown and beyond grateful,” Goode said. A double major in sociology and Africana studies, Goode plans to take full advantage of the Truman Scholar experience following her graduation from UR in 2026. She intends to participate in two of the foundation’s flagship programs: the Truman Summer Institute, which places scholars in internships at government agencies and nonprofit organizations in Washington, D.C., and the yearlong Truman-Albright Fellowship, which offers recent graduates hands-on public service experience in the nation’s capital.
Anthropology class travels to Oaxaca
In May, Anthropology professors Dr. Miguel Díaz-Barriga and Dr. Margaret Dorsey traveled with their Encompass students to Oaxaca, Mexico for a week-long immersive visit. The trip served as the culmination of a half-credit EnCompass course, giving students the opportunity to explore, firsthand, the region’s vibrant farm-to-table movement, indigenous food sovereignty initiatives, and the revitalization of small-scale indigenous agriculture. As the following photos illustrate, Oaxaca’s rich artisanal culture and deep-rooted heritage offered the students a week full of unforgettable and eye-opening experiences.
Newly graduated sociology majors participate in Presentations of Learning
In April, newly graduated sociology majors, Alexis Rogers and Lay’la Harmon shared their insights and presented their art work at the Bonner Center Civic Engagment’s Presentations of Learning. The event showcased how community engagement has shaped seniors’ academic and personal growth. Dr. Kiara Lee, a sociology major from the class of 2012, served as an alumni facilitator.
Molly Rossi’s ’16 journey after UR
Molly Rossi (anthropology minor, class of ’16) is the subject of an exciting, in-dept article featured in the August issue of University of Richmond Magazine. Read how her UR courses and travels paved the way for a successful career at the USAID and now the IMF.
Honors Program & Honor Societies
The goal of the anthropology and sociology honors programs is to allow students with superior interests and talents to explore these fields, personal intellectual interests, and themes beyond the limits of typical courses.
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology also offers students the opportunity to join two honor societies. Alpha Kappa Delta seeks to acknowledge and promote excellence in the scholarship and study of sociology, the research of social problems, and other social and intellectual activities that will lead to improvement in the human condition. Lambda Alpha supports scholarship and research by acknowledging and honoring superior achievement in the discipline among students engaged in the study of anthropology.
Upcoming Events
Feature Stories
Five University of Richmond Students Awarded Competitive Gilman Scholarships to Study Abroad
Five University of Richmond students have been offered Gilman Scholarships to support their study abroad experiences.
University of Richmond Ranked No. 1 in Study Abroad Participation by Open Doors Report
The University of Richmond is a leader among peer institutions for study abroad programs according to the latest Open Doors Report.
UR Now: Campus Life
Reasons to be thankful on the UR campus
For students who can’t make it home, there’s still a way to share a meal and enjoy the holiday — turkey, stuffing, and all.
Faculty Highlights
Sweis joins editorial board
Rania Kassab Sweis, associate professor of anthropology, joined the Editorial Board of the International Journal for Middle East Studies (IJMES), the flagship interdisciplinary journal in the field of Middle East studies.
Sweis presents at Yale global health conference
Rania Kassab Sweis, associate professor of anthropology, presented “The Making of Syrian American Medical Humanitarians” at the Global Health in a Turbulent Middle East and North Africa: Anthropological Perspectives conference hosted by the Yale MacMillan Center Council on Middle East Studies.
Oware publishes on how environment influences rap personas
Matthew Oware, Irving May Professor of Human Relations, published “Race and Space in Rap: Conceptions of (Multi)Racial Identity and Urban Life in Rap Music” in The Arts and Urban Development.
Olayiwola publishes on trust, success, and neoliberalism
Olubukola Olayiwola, visiting assistant professor of anthropology, published “’Having Experience of What to Do to Succeed’: Unsettling Neoliberalism Through the Lived Experiences of Microcredit Trader-Borrowers in Ibadan” in Economic Anthropology.
Scholarship Repository Readership
The University of Richmond's Scholarship Repository shares faculty publications with a world-wide audience. The map below shows where articles from sociology and anthropology faculty are being read around the globe.
Mailing Address:
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
302 Weinstein Hall
231 Richmond Way
University of Richmond, VA 23173
Phone: (804) 289-8067
Fax: (804) 287-1278
Department Chair: Dr. Matthew Oware
Administrative Coordinator: Diane Zotti