About Sociology and Anthropology

image of professor and a few students seated at an outdoor table having class

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

What We Do

Though we are a Department that houses two key disciplines in the social sciences, our faculty are committed to the same over-arching mission: to pursue rigorous and creative research agendas in a collegial, diverse, and collaborative environment, to expose students to the critical study of social patterns and processes, to provide strong training in theorizing, measuring, and addressing social issues and problems, and to engage local and global communities in an effort to better our state, region, nation, and world. Anthropology is the comparative study of human culture. Sociology is the systematic study of human social life.

Who We Are

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology is actively in engaged in scholarship. Our faculty publish in a wide range of research areas. The department houses two research centers, the Center for Population Studies and the Center for Archaeological Research, that serve as a focus for faculty and graduate student research. The department's Grisham-McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement advances transformative service throughout the University and fights poverty through education in Mississippi. Department faculty also contribute to both the Critical Race Studies Group and the Slavery Research Group active on campus.

The University of Mississippi is classified by Carnegie as an R1 university, a designation reserved for the top 2.5% of universities in the nation. As part of a research-intensive university, our faculty are at the top of their field. Studying with R1 faculty matters for students because it means they will have professors who bring exciting new discoveries into the classroom and give students a chance to work alongside them as they break barriers.

Faculty Spotlights

  • Dr. Marcos Mendoza, Associate Professor of Anthropology, received the 2024 Howell Family Outstanding Teacher of the Year award in recognition of his classroom instruction, intellectual stimulation of students, and care for students’ welfare.

  • Dr. Jodi Skipper, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Southern Studies, received the 2024 Sandford and Susan Thomas Senior Professor Research Award in the Social Sciences in recognition of exemplary performance in sustaining communities, through research, scholarship, and or creative achievement.

  • Dr. Kate Centellas, Associate Chair and Croft Associate Professor of Anthropology and International Studies, became the third Fulbright recipient from the department in five years by earning a Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad Award. She used the award to support UM students to travel to Bolivia to study public health anthropology

  • Dr. Jeffrey Jackson, Chair and Professor of Sociology and Dr. Charles Ross, Professor of History and African American Studies, received an Award of Merit from the Mississippi Historical Society in 2024 on behalf of the 58 faculty, staff, and students who contribute to the UM Slavery Research Group. 

What We Offer

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology offers undergraduate minors, majors, and master's degrees in sociology and anthropology as well as a minor in geography. Both programs of study train students to understand and utilize a variety of theoretical frameworks and research methods well suited to the examination of the structure, dynamics, and processes of human social life.

Jeffrey T Jackson

Welcome from the Chair

Whether you are a current (or potential) major or minor, graduate student, faculty member, or someone who is simply curious about the social world (past or present), we are happy to make available the skills and tools that the social sciences have to offer—skills that are needed now more than ever.

We offer fantastic courses taught by dedicated and award-winning faculty. Introductory courses in Sociology, Anthropology, and Geography provide “maps” of the exciting elements of our disciplines. Upper-division and graduate courses provide deeper insights into faculty members’ areas of expertise and help you to develop a dynamic understanding of the social world

Jeffrey T Jackson

Chair of Sociology and Anthropology and Professor of Sociology

Department Leadership and Support

We support the faculty and students in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
Jeffrey Jackson

Jeffrey Jackson

  • Chair of Sociology and Anthropology and Professor of Sociology
Amy McDowell

Amy McDowell

  • Associate Professor of Sociology and Associate Chair
Marcos Mendoza

Marcos Mendoza

  • Associate Professor of Anthropology and Associate Chair
James Thomas

James Thomas

  • Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology
Kristin Hickman

Kristin Hickman

  • Croft Assistant Professor of Anthropology and International Studies and Anthropology Graduate Program Coordinator

Anthropology Faculty

Katherine Centellas

Katherine Centellas

  • Croft Associate Professor of Anthropology
Simone Delerme

Simone Delerme

  • Associate Professor of Anthropology and McMullan Associate Professor of Southern Studies
Carolyn Freiwald

Carolyn Freiwald

  • Associate Professor of Anthropology
Kristin Hickman

Kristin Hickman

  • Croft Assistant Professor of Anthropology and International Studies and Anthropology Graduate Program Coordinator
Christine Lee

Christine Lee

  • Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Bridget Martin

Bridget Martin

  • Croft Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Korean Studies
Marcos Mendoza

Marcos Mendoza

  • Associate Professor of Anthropology and Associate Chair
Matthew Murray

Matthew Murray

  • Instructional Professor of Sociology and Anthropology
Jodi Skipper

Jodi Skipper

  • Professor of Anthropology
Nora Sylvander

Nora Sylvander

  • Croft Assistant Professor of Anthropology and International Studies
Jesse Tune

Jesse Tune

  • Associate Professor of Anthropology and Director, Center for Archaeological Research

Sociology Faculty

Anne Elizabeth Cafer

Anne Elizabeth Cafer

  • Associate Dean for Research, Scholarship and Graduate Education and Associate Professor of Sociology
Miguel Centellas

Miguel Centellas

  • Instructional Associate Professor of Sociology
Kirsten Dellinger

Kirsten Dellinger

  • Associate Dean for Access and Strategic Initiatives and Professor of Sociology
Jeffrey Jackson

Jeffrey Jackson

  • Chair of Sociology and Anthropology and Professor of Sociology
Amy McDowell

Amy McDowell

  • Associate Professor of Sociology and Associate Chair
Albert Nylander

Albert Nylander

  • Professor of Sociology and Director of the McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement
Minjoo Oh

Minjoo Oh

  • Associate Professor of Sociology
Ryan Parsons

Ryan Parsons

  • Assistant Professor of Sociology and Southern Studies
James Thomas

James Thomas

  • Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology
Ana Velitchkova

Ana Velitchkova

  • Croft Associate Professor of Sociology and International Studies

Centers and Institute

The following two centers and institute are located within the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, providing foundational research and service support for grants, faculty and student research, and the critical mission to support the citizens of Mississippi.
three students gathered together and looking at an arrowhead with a ring light and magnifying glass

Center for Archaeological Research (CAR)

The Center for Archaeological Research investigates and raises awareness of the archaeological resources of Mississippi and the South through field, laboratory, and collections-based research; trains graduate and undergraduate students in the methods of archaeology; educates the public; and serves as a repository of archaeological collections.

Center for Archaeological Research
a woman standing in front of a seated group of people while making a presentation

Center for Population Studies

The Center for Population Studies educates, conducts research, and engages in public outreach concerning population issues. The CPS is the lead agency for the State Data Center (SDC) of Mississippi and the Federal-State Cooperative for Population Estimates (FSCPE), both in collaboration with the US Census Bureau.

Center for Population Studies
a student and a teacher talking with each other in a crowd

Grisham-McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement

With the mission to advance transformative service throughout the University and fight poverty through education in Mississippi, the Grisham-McLean faculty, staff, and students partner with community and statewide organizations to conduct research and take action.

Grisham-McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement

On Campus Partners

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology partners with several university centers and institutions, as well as local community organizations. Some of our faculty have affiliated positions with these other departments and centers, while others contribute their research, teaching, and service to support the mission of these partners.

African American Studies Program

The Program develops and coordinates and interdisciplinary curriculum that focuses mainly on the African American experience in the United States, especially in Mississippi and the South.

Center for the Study of Southern Culture

The Center for the Study of Southern Culture seeks to investigate, document, interpret, and teach about the American South through academic inquiry and publications, documentary studies of film, photography, and oral history, and public outreach programs.

Croft Institute for International Studies

The Croft Institute is the center of academic excellence for students who want to transcend the horizons of their local community, their region, and the nation as a whole.

Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies

We offer students, faculty, staff, and visitors a gathering place, as well as an atmosphere of mutual encouragement and support for women of all ages and backgrounds.

Off Campus Partners

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology partners with community organizations. Some of our faculty contribute their research, teaching, and service to support the mission of these partners.
  • Behind the Big House Project

    Preserve Marshall County & Holly Springs “Behind the Big House” is an educational program initiated by Preserve Marshall County & Holly Springs, Inc., held in conjunction with the Annual Pilgrimage that explores the area’s rare extant inventory of structures related to slavery. The tour has garnered rave reviews for its innovative, inclusive approach to heritage tourism.

    Preserve Marshall County

Contributions of Department Courses Across Campus

The contributions of anthropology, geography, and sociology courses extend far and wide across campus, an indication of the importance of these social science fields for many different areas of study. Here are th  programs - besides the anthropology and sociology minors and majors and the geography minor - that include our courses.  

College of Liberal Arts Majors and Minors 

Non-CLA Majors and Minors

African American StudiesCommunication Sciences & Disorders
Allied Health StudiesCriminal Justice
Art HistoryDietetics & Nutrition
Cinema StudiesEarly Childhood Education
Creative WritingElementary Education
Disaster SciencesExercise Science
East Asian StudiesLaw Studies
Environmental StudiesHospitality Management
Film ProductionManagement (International Business Mgmt)
Gender StudiesPublic Health
International StudiesSocial Work
Latin American and Caribbean StudiesSport and Recreation Administration
Linguistics
Museum Studies
Society & Health
Southern Studies

Our Community

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Aerial photo of the Oxford Square with the courthouse in the middle

A Place That Ever Calls

Located 70 miles from Memphis and surrounded by the natural beauty of Northern Mississippi, Oxford boasts thriving music, art, and literary scenes along with great restaurants. UM's athletics provide many opportunities to watch and participate in sportsand one of the world's best tailgating parties. 

With everything Oxford has to offer, it's no wonder USA Today named Oxford as one of the Top Six College Towns in the Nation. 

Come see why. 

Oxford , MS