Faculty and Staff

ABOUT

Experienced faculty with a wide range of interests

Looking for caring, dedicated professors who love teaching as much as they love research? You’ve come to the right place. The faculty members in the Department of Anthropology, Geography and Sociology represent a variety of interests, from gerontology, archaeology and sustainability to social issues like education inequality and workplace rights. 

 

George Avery

Dr. George Avery holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Florida. His areas of interest include historical archaeology, with an emphasis on the Spanish Colonial/Mexican/Texas Republic period in East Texas and Louisiana. He is the editor of The Caddo Journal, an anthropology journal focused on the history of the Caddo Nation in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Leslie G. Cecil

Dr. Leslie G. Cecil holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Her research interests include ceramic analysis, Mesoamerica archaeology, archaeometry and anthropology of technology. She conducts SFA’s Archaeological Field School. 

Karol Chandler-Ezell

Dr. Karol Chandler-Ezell holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Missouri. Her teaching and research topics include adaptive behaviors in response to culture change, illness and environmental stressors, genre affiliation in fandom and evolution and interactions between medicine, science and cultural religious needs. Chandler-Ezell is the faculty advisor for SFA’s Anthropology and Archaeology Society.

Ray Darville

Dr. Ray Darville’s research interests include social inequality, outdoor recreation and resource interpretation in national parks, environment sociology and women’s representation in state legislatures. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from East Texas Baptist University, a Master of Arts in sociology from SFA (Axe ‘Em, Jacks!) and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of North Texas.

Dianne Dentice

Dr. Dianne Dentice holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Texas Women’s University, and her research interests include extremist social movements, transgender workplace rights issues and education inequality in minority populations. She is the faculty advisor for the Sociology and Gerontology Club and the SFA chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta National Honor Society in Sociology.

Bill Forbes

Dr. Bill Forbes holds a Ph.D. in geography from the University of North Texas. His research interests include integrated conservation and development and environmental philosophy and restoration. He is the faculty advisor for SFA’s Sustainability Club.

Dr. Maggie Forbes

Dr. Maggie Forbes’ areas of interest include treatment wetlands, aquatic systems restoration and food security. She holds a Ph.D. in environmental science from The University of North Texas. 

Darrel McDonald

Dr. Darrel McDonald completed his undergraduate degrees at Chadron State College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in biology and mathematics, a Bachelor of Science in geography and Earth science and a Master of Science in secondary education and guidance counseling. He holds a Ph.D. in geography from Texas A&M University, and his areas of interest include the historical landscapes of Galveston Island and Native American churches and sacred spaces. 

John C. Pruit

Dr. John C. Pruit’s research areas include narrative, identity and sociology of early childhood, education, deviance and sociological social psychology. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in sociology from the University of Memphis and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Missouri.

Jeff Roth

Dr. Jeff Roth holds a Ph.D. in geography from the University of Oklahoma. He is the faculty sponsor for SFA’s Geography Club, as well as the SFA Brew Club, which teaches members about the history of beer and brewing, particularly the origins, ecology and processes involved in the creation of certain types of beer.

Walt Scalen

Dr. Walt Scalen holds a Master of Arts in sociology from Texas Christian University, and an Ed.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Sarasota. His areas of interest include criminology, minorities and the sociology of religion.

James Standley

Dr. James Standley holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Texas A&M University. He is currently SFA’s Dean of Graduate Studies.

Robert Szafran

Dr. Robert Szafran’s research areas include social indicators, research design and classroom pedagogy. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Loyola University, and he earned his Master of Science and Ph.D. in sociology from The University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Dr. J.B. Watson, Jr.

Dr. J.B. Watson, Jr. holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of North Texas. His areas of interest include civic engagement and higher education, and the commodification of religion, aging and spirituality.

Jerry Williams

Dr. Jerry Williams’ research interests include human ecology, sociology of the environment, pragmatism and social problems. He earned his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Kansas.

Donna Matheny

Donna is the department’s administrative assistant. In addition to helping our students and faculty, she loves dachshunds, spending time with family and reading. 

Tom Segady 

During his 27 years with the Department of Anthropology, Geography and Sociology, Dr. Tom Segady taught a variety of courses, including globalization, social psychology, and the sociology of religion. He also served as department chair and played a key role in the creation of SFA’s School of Honors, which was founded in 1992. Segady earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in sociology from the University of Colorado, and he holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Denver. He completed his doctoral dissertation in Munich, Germany. 

Laura Short 
Adjunct Faculty 

Laura Short holds a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and she is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the anthropology/archaeology program at Texas A&M University. Her areas of interest include spectroscopy, quantum archaeology and ancient cooking techniques. Short is a member of the Society for American Archaeology, the Council of Texas Archaeologists, Lambda Alpha Anthropology Honors Society and the Texas Archaeology Society. 

Dr. Staci Willis 
Adjunct Faculty 

Dr. Staci Willis holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from Texas A&M University. Her research interests include cross-cultural interactions and colonial encounters, formation, maintenance and negotiation of identity, processes of cultural change, ancient Mediterranean seafaring, ancient shipbuilding traditions, shipwrecks, paleoethnobotany and archaeological palynology. She is a member of the Archaeological Institute of America, the Society of Ethnobiology and the Society for Historical Archaeology. Willis is also a certified open water diver and a member of the Divers Alert Network.