Most students who enter college have never heard of sociology, and when I first started college I was no different. I had no idea what sociology was all about, and I definitely had no intentions of one day becoming a professor of sociology. It was my wife Marcie who suggested that I should take an introduction to sociology class during my second semester in college, and from that point on I was completely hooked. My first class in sociology taught me things I had never considered before about the world we live in and the people in society. As I took more classes in sociology, I learned that it is the academic discipline which provides a wealth of knowledge and information about the secrets of society, the people in society, and the relationships between a person and the larger society in which he or she lives. As a student, I found that other academic disciplines were very interesting and taught me a great deal of information; however, I found that it is sociology which best explains many of the things I have encountered in my life.
As a professor, my research interests are varied and cover a broad range of sociological topics. However, my primary interests currently lie within the field of sociological social psychology. I enjoy conducting research within the social psychological areas of small group interaction, self-concept, and human motivation. Another domain in which I will continue to do research is the sociology of emotion, specifically with respect to the causal links between empathy and a host of behavioral outcomes. Finally, intimate relationship violence in American society is the primary focus of my current research efforts. It is my hope that my efforts in the area of domestic violence can be used to offer new suggestions on how to combat and end domestic violence.