Assistant Professor of Sociology Adriana Ponce was selected to participate in “Beyond Colonial Constraints: Cuir Feminist Praxis as Rupture and Healing across the Archipelago” at the NWSA annual conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico from November 12–16. The pre-conference opportunity was rooted in Boriken archipelago feminism to explore how gender and sexual minorities disrupt coloniality and embrace joy.

Assistant Professor of Sociology Adriana Ponce published her critical literature review on U.S. stepfamilies in the Journal of Sociology Compass. The article, “A Literature Review of U.S. Stepfamilies: Directions Toward an Intersectional, Feminist Understanding of Lived Experiences Centered on Social Justice Praxis,” is part of a special issue centering on intersectionality, titled “Beyond Boundaries: Reviewing the Multifaceted Dimensions of Intersectionality,” and identifies a glaring gap and directions for new knowledge creation centered on community engagement. The article can be read here.

Assistant Professor of Sociology Adriana Ponce and sociology major Chelsey Rocha ’25 presented “Intersectionality, Accessibility, and Fraudulent Behavior: Feminist, Qualitative Methodology and Emerging Virtual Recruitment” at the Southern Sociological Society (SSS) Annual Conference in Charlotte, NC. Dr. Ponce and Chelsey’s presentation wrestled with accessible recruitment practices for diverse stepfamilies while protecting the data from interested respondents misrepresenting their qualifications for the study.

Assistant Professors of Sociology Adriana Ponce and Amanda Hernandez, Assistant Professor of Political Science Alexander Goodwin, Assistant Professor of History Bryan Kauma, and Assistant Professor of English Sonia Del Hierro published “Teaching with Color: Thematic Hires and the Politics of Teaching in Texas,” in the journal Sociology of Race and Ethnicity. This article joins a growing conversation in the humanities and humanistic social sciences on ways faculty of color shoulder the burden of thinking about our shared futures as racialized, intersectional, and collaborative. You can find the article here.

Assistant Professor of Sociology Adriana Ponce and sociology major Chelsey Rocha ’25 presented “Stepparents in America: Unearthing Distinct Practices and Processes” at the National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) annual conference in Detroit, MI. Dr. Ponce and Chelsey’s presentation highlighted their community engaged project’s current progress and developments.