West Virginia Universitys Division of Sociology and Anthropology in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences announces the appointment of three new faculty members whose collective expertise takes in everything from the formation of prehistoric family and social units to present-day interactions between the police officers and the citizens they protect and serve.

They are:

Dr. Erica Owens, who comes to WVU after teaching for four years at Marquette University. She earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Florida in 2002, and her primary areas of research and teaching are family, social psychology, gender, race and ethnicity.

Her doctoral dissertation explored how marital dissolution affects individual identity. Owens is teaching courses on social psychology and families and society.

Dr. Karen Weiss, who completed her Ph.D. in Sociology at State University of New York at Stony Brook in 2006, and her research and teaching experience are in the areas of criminology/victimization, gender/sexuality and culture.

Her dissertation focused on the excuses and justifications victims use to deny the severity of incidents, excuse offenders, and justify non-reporting to the police. Weiss is teaching courses in criminology and prisons and incarcerations.

Dr. Amy Hirshman, who joins the WVU faculty from the University of Michigan-Flint, where she taught for several years. Her Ph.D. is from Michigan State University in anthropology.

Her dissertation examined the relationship between craft specialization and state formation in prehispanic western Mesoamerica. Hirshman is teaching Introduction to Anthropology, Physical Anthropology and World Prehistory.

Were excited to share the range of new research interests and diversity of course offerings that these new scholars bring to our University community,said Dr. Melissa Latimer, who chairs the Division of Sociology and Anthropology.

For more information, contact Latimer at melissa.latimer@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-5801, ext. 3209.