Graduate Students

	Larissa Barnhart This is my first year as both graduate student and teaching assistant in the department. As an undergraduate I majored in Sociology and minored in Political Science. I am most interested in issues pertaining to gender & inequality and social change & development. At some point down the line, I would like to pursue a career in research and also spend some time working in the social services sector.

	Tolee Hanke I am currently working on an MA in Sociology and have a B.A. in Sociology and a B.S. in Psychology. My interests include Symbolic Interactionism (with a focus on status and change), ethnomethodology, Conflict Theory, and Systems Theory. I'm most interested of all in the idea of anomie (i.e., social chaos), both at the macro and micro levels. I am currently teaching Introduction to Ethnic Studies (Sociology 168), and enjoy the program offered at Sam Houston State University. I plan to transfer to Texas A&M for a Ph.D in Sociology.

	Sameena R. Khan I joined the Department of Sociology in the Fall of 2006, after receiving my Bachelors of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University. My research interests include the globalization of the apparel industry, marriage power relations, and international adoption. I have enjoyed my time working on my MA while gaining valuable teaching experience as a teaching assistant.

	Yolanda Lopez I am pursuing my Masters Degree in Sociology while working as a Teaching Assistant for the Sociology Department. This has helped build my relationship with the Sociology faculty and department. The work as Teaching Assistant is a new and enriching experience, and is different from other teaching experiences I've had in Ecuador. My research interests are Sociology of tourism, race/ethnicity and culture.

	Ben Robertson I began work as a graduate student and teaching assistant in the Spring of 2007, after graduating with my BS in Sociology from Sam Houston State University. My areas of interest include Political Sociology, and Economy and Society with an emphasis on Globalization issues and Quantitative Analysis. I have enjoyed my time working on an MA in Sociology and as a teaching assistant, emphasizing statistics and methodology.