Dr. Chenghui Zhang specializes in criminology, bias crime, racial/ethnic inequalities, and quantitative methods. Her research explores how social structure influences crime and crime reporting behaviors, with a specific focus on how social inequalities affect perceptions of and reactions to bias crimes. Methodologically, Zhang employs survey experiments to obtain first-hand data as an alternative to official statistics and applies advanced statistical methods and machine learning techniques to reveal how social inequalities manifest in crime experiences and crime reporting behaviors.
Barb Brents
I apply research on sexual commerce to understand the politics of sexuality; the intersections of culture and economics; sexual markets and consumption; and the emotional and bodily labor of selling sex. My recent research compares the affects of different legal structures on the experiences of sex workers, and has compared the demand for sexual services in the US and UK.
Robert Futrell
Robert Futrell (Professor, Sociology) specializes in areas that include: social movements and social change, environmental sociology, urban sustainability, and science and technology. His environmental research focuses on sustainability, climate change, and urban life in the U.S. desert southwest. His current social movement scholarship focuses on the cultural and organizational dynamics of movement persistence. Dr. Futrell has also received several teaching awards including the UNLV Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award. Dr. Futrell joined the UNLV faculty in 1999.