Nasim Koohi

Name: Nasim Koohi

Graduation Date: Spring 2023

Graduate Committee: Dr. Amanda Baumle (Chair), Dr. Sheila Katz, Dr. Elizabeth Gregory

Thesis Description:
Employing a quantitative approach, my thesis examined the intersection of sexual orientation and race/ethnicity to understand how college students experience interpersonal sexual objectification (ISOE). Using primary data, I found that lesbian and bisexual women report experiencing sexual objectification at higher levels. Similarly, compared to Whites, Asian women report higher ISOE levels. 

Where are you now?
After graduating from the UH sociology department, I worked for a year as a lab manager in the psychology department. In this role, I trained undergraduate research assistants in the nuances of conducting research, including how to conduct a literature review, survey design, and data collection. In 2024, I applied to the Ph.D. program in Sociology at Rice University and was admitted. In the fall of 2024, I began my doctoral program. My experience as a racial minority and immigrant has inspired me to pursue research at the intersection of race/ethnicity and immigration to examine health outcomes for multiple marginalized identities.

How has the program helped you?
Undoubtedly, earning my master’s degree in sociology from the University of Houston has played a significant role in shaping my future academic journey. The supportive atmosphere of the department created a safe and enjoyable space for learning and growth. I deeply appreciate the supportive and encouraging faculty who value a diverse array of research. The extensive training in both qualitative and quantitative methods has equipped me to tackle a variety of research questions. As a research-active department, I greatly benefited from collaborating with skilled faculty conducting cutting-edge research. Receiving financial support, along with enjoying the warmth of Houston, added to my positive experience.

Carlos Guajardo

Name: Carlos Guajardo

Graduate Date: August 2023

Thesis Title: Catholic Latina Identities and Romantic Relationships

Thesis Description:

My thesis is a qualitative study that investigated how Catholic Latinas living in Houston negotiate their ethnic and religious cultural identities and comprehend romance within a cultural-sociology framework. Rather than passively accepting familial expectations, religious dictates, and ethnic prescriptions of gender, the respondents actively and creatively construct their own pragmatically useful understandings of what it means to be Catholic and Latina, and how those meanings influence their navigation of romantic relationships. Catholic and Latina identities are not discrete foundations of cultural resources but are inextricably linked, incorporating ethnoreligious dimensions to facilitate their romantic decisions. My research identified that Catholic Latinas engage in a rigorous cultural dialogue between tradition and modernity, especially when navigating familial and gendered expectations. Overall, my research aimed to understand how the nuanced deployments of culture influence Catholic Latinas in negotiating their identities when making romantic decisions. I found that these identities fluctuate depending on the contexts of environments and audiences.

Where are you now?

Currently, I am working at Baylor College of Medicine as a Research Assistant II (patient navigator) on two grants for colorectal and breast cancer. My duties as a patient navigator include contacting patients, providing and distributing accurate informational resources, conducting community outreach, and managing sensitive data (informed consent and implementing new project protocols). Occasionally, we collaborate with other teams on different projects, but always with the collective goal of preventative patient care and medical research.

How has the program helped you?

The University of Houston’s Sociology graduate program provided me with critical qualitative and quantitative skills that are essential for research-based jobs, particularly in the medical field in Houston. Through graduate courses that introduce students to designing project protocols and the importance of informed consent, the program prepares students not just for continuing education but for life post-graduation. In my experience, the most beneficial elements of the program are the qualitative and quantitative methods courses, simply because they directly translate into the field I currently work in. I spend a significant amount of time reviewing pre-designed questionnaires with patients and practicing active listening when consulting with patients in-person or electronically. These skills that I learned from my qualitative and quantitative methods courses that are applicable to various disciplines and fields post-graduation. Furthermore, the program establishes students into cohorts that become a vital professional network beyond the program. I am truly thankful for the professors in the program for mentoring and guiding us toward topics that we were passionate about. Go Coogs!

Nicole Hart

Name: Nicole Hart

Graduate Date: May 2023

Graduate Committee: Dr. Kathryn Freeman Anderson (chair), Dr. Zelma Oyarvide Tuthill, and Dr. Matthew Gallagher

Thesis Description:

I completed a quantitative thesis that focused on comparing Black Americans’ mental health coping mechanisms to other racial groups (Asians, Hispanics, and White). I utilized the Africultural Coping Systems Inventory to find common coping mechanisms and binary logistic regression models to examine out the nuances of different coping skills across different racial groups. My master's thesis is currently under review for publication in an academic journal.

Where are you now?

As of fall 2023, I am a Ph.D. student at the University of Chicago. I am currently studying inter-ethnic conflict/consensus by focusing on Houston’s minority small business owners through interviews and observations. I also work as an RA for an ongoing mixed methods project focusing on police training.

How has the program helped you?

Earning a master’s from UH provided me with the skill set and experience I needed to be a strong candidate for a top Ph.D. program. I was able to form relationships with faculty that gave way to excellent recommendations, all while learning how to be a successful, publishing sociologist. The best way to learn is to experience, and UH gave me that chance. To this day, I utilize the skills I learned from my time at UH while at the University of Chicago.

Angelica Lopez

Graduate Date: May 2020
Graduate Committee: Dr. Monserud (chair), Dr. Anderson, Dr. Narendorf

Thesis Description
For my thesis, I estimated a series of logistic regression models to examine the interplay between generation status, acculturation and socioeconomic status on the perceived need for mental health services among Asians and Latinos in the United States. The findings indicate that among Asian Americans, the 1.5, 2.5 and third-generation are significantly more likely to have previously perceived the need to use mental health services. Notably, the level of English proficiency nullified the relationship between generation status and perceived need for mental health services among Latinos.

Where are you now?
After graduation, I started working as a data analyst and community researcher for the Sankofa Research Institute here in Houston. The Sankofa Research Institute uses Community Based Participatory Research to engage with local Houston communities and help them carry out research to address problems in their community. My role is to help design and carry out data collection, analyze quantitative and qualitative findings and present the data in a consumable way for community members.

In Fall 2021, I resumed my academic journey and started my Ph.D. in Sociology at Arizona State University. Asides from my work with Sankofa, I am a research and teaching assistant at ASU. My research assistantship focuses on the interplay between racial/ethnic identity and sleep.

How has the program helped you?
The UH sociology program provided me with extensive quantitative training. By the end of the program, I was well versed with statistical software, quantitative methods and my writing had improved. These assets have been indispensable in my job as a data analyst and in my research at ASU. Lastly, I would like to add that the UH sociology program has professors that are really supportive of students and their academic goals.

Dylan Simburger

Graduate Date: May 2020
Graduate Committee: Dr. Kathryn Anderson (chair), Dr. Anthony G. Dworkin, Dr. Aimee Chin

Thesis Description
My thesis looked at how the upward, inter-generational socioeconomic mobility of Asian Americans is moderated by the experiences in their communities. I used Rice University’s Kinder Houston Area Survey to perform a series of OLS regressions that indicated that, while second-generation Asian Americans were expected to make more than their first-generation counterparts, this effect was moderated by their perception of racial and ethnic relations in the Houston area. This effect was reinforced by the education of the respondents, such that more education seemed to facilitate a better perception of racial and ethnic relations. These finding line up with current theory on Asian Americans and assimilation theory while also pointing towards new directions to measure the “successful” integration of immigrant groups.

Where are you now?
I am now a Ph.D. student in the Sociology Department at the University of Arizona. The program puts a heavy focus on methods training and empirical research. I am using my time in the program to continue my research in immigrant populations and communities and am increasingly trying to bring concepts of culture and identity back into studies of immigrant assimilation and incorporation. I primarily use quantitative methods to investigate this and am also beginning to incorporate computational techniques into my research to help me explore new data sources.

How has the program helped you?
The UH Sociology program provides an excellent foundation that equips one with the knowledge and tools to either continue their academic careers or enter more applied sectors. Students are given the appropriate quantitative and qualitative training to do worthwhile research as well as a space to think and develop their ideas with extensive faculty support. The program also improved many of my other professional skills: including writing, professional interaction, time management, and project development. Overall, this program is supportive, knowledgeable, and worthwhile.

Fanni Farago

Graduation Date: December 2018
Graduate Committee: Dr. Maria Monserud (Chair), Dr. A. Gary Dworkin, Dr. Sheara Williams-Jennings

Thesis Title: Shaping Student Outcomes: The Relevance of Perceived Discrimination for 2nd Generation Minority Adolescents

Thesis Description
For my master’s thesis, I quantitatively investigated the relationship between different sources of perceived discrimination and academic outcomes for second generation immigrant adolescents belonging to various racial/ethnic groups. My goal was to better understand how perceived societal, institutional and peer discrimination impacted immigrant youth’s academic well-being. Unexpectedly, greater perceptions of peer discrimination predicted improved academic performance and higher academic aspirations. As expected, stronger perceived institutional discrimination predicted lower academic performance. I used Garcia Coll and colleagues’ (1996) Integrative Model for the Study of Developmental Competencies in Minority Children to contextualize findings from the perspective of adaptive cultural strategies children of immigrants and their families develop to cope with discrimination.

Where are you now?
I am a sociology doctoral student and Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) at George Mason University. Since starting the program in fall 2019, I have enjoyed working for two different research centers, the Center for Social Science Research (CSSR) and the Institute for Immigration Research (IIR). As a GRA, I have had the opportunity to develop my applied and academic research skills through various projects that required quantitative or qualitative data collection, analysis, or reporting. For example, I worked on the Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Utilization Survey of Problem-Solving Courts, a national survey examining the facilitators and barriers of MAT usage among problem-solving courts. This study contributes to broader conversations about how problem-solving courts can help mitigate the opioid crisis and better serve court participants addicted to opioids or other substances.

How has the program helped you?
The UH Sociology program was the beginning of my professionalization as a sociologist. In general, it provided me with a strong foundation of disciplinary knowledge and practices (i.e., research, writing, and teaching), all of which facilitated my successful transition into a PhD program. More specifically, I gained substantive research experience through my thesis and summer research position; these experiences prepared me well for my subsequent work as a GRA. Additionally, the rigorous thesis writing experience gave me the confidence and know-how to work on various co-authored publications in my first year of the PhD program. Finally, working as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for two years was an immersive professionalization experience that helped me sharpen my communication and teaching skills. Such skills come in handy given that I often work on interdisciplinary research teams and collaborate with various non-research professionals, folks who all want clear and simple communication and have zero patience for obscure, sociological jargon, similar to my former undergraduate students.

Lindsay Oncken

Graduate Date: August 2018
Graduate Committee: Dr. Kwan (chair), Dr. Anderson, and Dr. Hernandez

Thesis Description
For my thesis, I conducted in-depth interviews with local Meals on Wheels recipients to better understand how low-income seniors’ social interaction impacts their ability to develop resilience. I found that, in order to combat limitations to autonomy experienced in old age, many seniors engage in social strategies that allow them to promote a more agentive sense of self to others. I argued that being able to engage in these strategies is a key mechanism by which social interaction promotes resilience among the elderly.

Where are you now?
I recently started as an Associate Research Analyst with the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), an Austin-based nonprofit providing a wide range of services to school districts throughout the state of Texas. In my role, I assist with research projects, conduct data analysis, and write reports to help the various service providers within TASB better understand and support school districts.

How has the program helped you?
The UH Sociology program equipped me with several concrete skills that were hugely helpful during my job search. Having a firm knowledge of statistical analysis and research processes allowed me to offer a unique and valuable skillset to my employers. In addition, having solid teaching and writing experience showed employers that I could make complex ideas digestible to non-experts­­—something that is especially important in an applied research setting. Overall, the graduate program gave me the skills, experience, and confidence to find a job that is intellectually challenging and engaging.