Phattra Marbang is a doctoral candidate at the Department of Sociology, UGA. Her research focuses on the relationship between international education policy and practice. Her dissertation project studies international education initiatives at universities, examining how international student advisors play a significant role in supporting international education and complying with the federal government on campuses. In her work, she goes beyond merely examining a uniform practice of student visa implementation to theorize about street-level bureaucrats (Change and Brewer 2023; Lipsky 1969; Pokharel, Das, and Fowler 2023; Watkins-Hayes 2009) and their use of discretion. 

K.L. Long, MLS MA is a scholar activist, doctoral candidate, and instructor of record  in the Department of Sociology at the University of Georgia. She regularly teaches departmental courses on Colorism & Hairism in Communities of Color (SOCI (AFAM) (WMST) 3650) and Qualitative Research Methods (SOCI 3590). Her research interests include skin tone discrimination/colorism, intra-racial trauma, public sociology, race and ethnicity, race and health, social psychology, theory, & qualitative methodology. Her research assesses the psychological and physiological impact of intra-racial skin tone discrimination on Black Americans, theories on colorism, the transmission of intergenerational and cultural trauma, and the social psychology of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. Her past research has examined how light-skinned Black women experience intra-group colorism and in her dissertation she lays the foundation for her novel theory rooted in the sociohistorical and social psychological tradtions and quantitatively tests this theory. In her work she asserts that without a proper sociohistorical framework and more complete empirical understanding of skin tone discrimination there will continue to be a loss of valuable knowledge and insight regarding the continued prevalence and impact of colorist trauma on the gamut of Black Americans.

Keely Fox is a Doctoral Candidate in Sociology at the University of Georgia studying women's experiences of menopause in the United States and United Kingdom. Her dissertation examines how women navigate menopausal transitions across public and private spheres, revealing the impact of institutional structures and cultural attitudes on this significant life phase. Her scholarly interests extend to women's health more broadly, particularly examining how evolving medical landscapes and advancements in technology shape women's healthcare experiences and access to care. As a trained mixed methodologist, she brings expertise in both quantitative and qualitative research methods to her work. While at UGA, she has taught the following courses: Medical Sociology, Sociology of Health Care, and Sociology of the Family.

Shelby Clark is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Georgia. Her research focuses broadly on families and romantic relationships. Specifically, she's interested in relationship formation, norms, and shifts around dating (including the use of digital technologies such as dating apps), and how individuals navigate intimacy throughout the life course. 

Vanessa Gonlin joined the UGA Department of Sociology in 2020 after earning her PhD from Texas A&M University with specializations in race and social demography and certificates in Advanced Research Methods, Africana Studies, and Latino/a and Mexican American Studies. Her research and teaching areas of expertise include racial identity(ies), colorism, and interracial relationships, with a particular focus on Black peoples and bi/multiracials.

In peer-reviewed publications Dr. Gonlin determines the outcomes of racial identity dimensions that do not always align, documents the impact of colorism, and highlights how social hierarchies operate within interracial relationship dynamics. Currently, she is studying majority/minority interracial relationships from the minoritized racial partner’s perspective. This ties in with her work on the progeny of such a union (i.e., people with mixed-race ancestry) and their experiences with discrimination and identity processes.

Dr. Gonlin brings research into the classroom and enjoys teaching undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Gonlin teaches Race and Ethnicity in America, Analysis and Interpretation of Sociological Data I (aka Quantitative Methods I), and a new course that she created called Colorism and Hairism in Communities of Color, the demand for which has led it to now be offered at both the undergraduate (SOCI/AFAM/WMST 3650) and graduate (SOCI/AFAM/WMST 8360) levels. She is honored to have her dedication to student learning recognized through the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award, UGA NAACP Mary McLeod Bethune Educator Award, Sandy Beaver Excellence in Teaching Award, Multicultural Curriculum Grant, and Lilly Teaching Fellowship.

Dr. Gonlin is not taking on any additional doctoral, master's, undergraduate, or high school students at this time.