Faculty
The Department of Sociology currently consists of three full-time faculty members:
Dr. Heidi Ballard, Chair of the Sociology Department and Associate Professor, received her Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM. Her graduate work emphasized social theory and global development issues, with a regional emphasis on Latin America. Areas of expertise include classical and contemporary sociological theory, global social change and development, and environmental sociology. Issues of social justice are of special interest in her work. Courses currently taught include classical social theory, contemporary social theory, racial and ethnic relations, global social change, environmental sociology, and urban sociology. E-mail: hballard@otterbein.edu.
Dr. Garlena A. Bauer, Professor of Sociology, received her PhD from The Ohio State University. Her areas of expertise include women's studies, family studies and gender studies. Dr. Bauer is particularly interested in the topic of Women and Film. E-mail: gbauer@otterbein.edu.
Dr. Leesa Kern is an assistant professor of Sociology. She received her doctorate from The Ohio State University. Her classes are in the criminology concentration. Her research interests are criminology and juvenile delinquency. She also teaches Introductory Sociology, Research Methods, and Popular Culture, as well as the Integrative Studies course: Encountering Cultural Systems. She is currently working on research examining the effects of ending Affirmative Action in police departments, integrated theories of juvenile delinquency, and stigma management among communities of deviants. E-mail: Lkern@otterbein.edu.
