Assistant Professor of Sociology Amanda Hernandez and environmental studies graduate Sarah Ventimiglia ’25 published their faculty/student collaborative research in the peer-reviewed journal Symbolic Interaction. Their article, titled “Hashtag ChristianGirl: The White Commodified Self on TikTok,” argues that Christian influencers on TikTok use a version of the white commodified self to attempt to sell products, services, and ideologies that uphold Christian whiteness as an idealized form of womanhood. The article can be read here.

Several sociology faculty members and students attended the Eastern Sociological Society annual meeting in Washington, D.C. from March 5-8. Three sociology majors presented their capstone research: Rylan Hastings ’26 presented “One Nation, Many Teams: Americans’ Attitudes About Sport as a Unifier or Divider in Society,” Aris Morgan ’26 presented “The Perception of the West Under Threat: American Attitudes on China,” and Greta Nelson ’26 presented “They Don’t Belong Here: Understanding American Opposition to Undocumented Immigration.” Faculty and students also presented on their collaborative research projects: Assistant Professor of Sociology Amanda Hernandez, Morgan, and Nelson presented their 2025 SURF project “Stay Off Our TERF: Predictors of Anti-Trans Feminists Opposition to Trans Girls in K-12 Sports,” and Professor of Sociology Maria Lowe and Claire Adams ’27 presented “Suspicious Person Posts and Racial Profiling Anxiety in Neighborhoods.” In addition, Hernandez presented work from ongoing research, “But Is It Feminist? The Highlights, Challenges, and Opportunities of Creating a Sociological and Transdisciplinary Podcast.”

Assistant Professor of Sociology Amanda Hernandez presented a virtual book talk to women and gender studies students at California State University, Northridge on November 18. The focus of her talk was on feminist interview methodologies and the chapter “Wife – Mother – Girl Boss” from her 2024 book Intersectional Identities of Christian Women in the United States: Faith, Race, and Feminism.

Assistant Professor of Sociology Amanda Hernandez served as an invited panelist on an “Author Meets Critics” panel at the Sociology for the Scientific Study of Religion annual meeting in Minneapolis on October 31. The book, “Faith & The Fragility of Justice: Responses to Gender-Based Violence in South Africa,” by Meredith Whitnah is an exploration of non-governmental organization responses to gender-based violence in post-apartheid South Africa. Amanda’s comments focused on the author’s call to use intersectional frameworks in the sociological study of religion and the use of creative and innovative methodologies to do this work.

Assistant Professor of Sociology Amanda Hernandez and environmental studies graduate Sarah Ventimiglia ’24 traveled to Chicago to present at the Association for the Sociology of Religion Annual Meeting. Sarah presented their faculty/student collaborative research “Hashtag ChristianGirl: The White Commodified Self on TikTok.” Amanda’s 2024 book, Intersectional Identities of Christian Women in the U.S.: Faith, Race, and Feminism, was the subject of an “Author Meets Critic” book panel.