Crime, Violence Expert Joins Sociology and Criminal Justice

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Shaun Thomas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Shaun Thomas will begin teaching classes this fall as an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. He joins the University of Arkansas from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where he was an associate professor with the Department of Criminal Justice.

"Dr. Thomas does fascinating work," said Anna Zajicek, department chair. "His research on crime and violence in communities make him a great addition to our team."

Thomas' research and teaching interests include communities and crime, the nature of violence, race and crime, institutions of social control, juvenile justice, corrections, rural and urban studies, and secondary data analysis. He applies advanced statistical methods to develop the understanding of complex criminological and sociological phenomena.

"It's an honor to have been chosen for this position," said Thomas. "Arkansas has been a great home, and I look forward to advancing my research in Fulbright College."

Thomas served on the search committee for the Dean of the Graduate School at Little Rock and as a reviewer for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Undergraduate Research Expo. In 2015, he received the Faculty Excellence Award for Research by the College of Social Sciences and Communication at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Thomas received a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from The University of Akron. He earned a Master of Arts and a doctorate in sociology from Louisiana State University.

About the Department: The Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice offers three degree programs and two honor societies; affiliation with renowned research units — the Community and Family Institute and the Terrorism Research Center — and research emphases in community, crime and law, social inequality, social psychology, culture, organizations and social networks.