Spring is on its way! Gardens will be growing, and fruits and vegetables will be ready to eat - or preserve, pickle, freeze or dry! Lisa Conley is a graduate student in the Department of Sociology, and has been working on a documentary film about home food preservation methods in Appalachia since 2009.

Abby Kerins was a poster presenter at the Lexington Farmer's Market on September 17th, 2011. Inspired by Alessandro Portelli, author of They Say in Harlan County, Kerins' research involved listening to (and reading transcripts of) oral histories from the coal-rich region of Appalachian Kentucky. Kerins focused on the role of women during coal miners' strikes in the 20th century.

At the beginning of the Fall 2011 semester, we met with all of the new faculty hires in the College of Arts and Sciences. This series of podcasts introduces them and their research interests. Janet Stamatel is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and specializes in criminology and political sociology. In particular, she is interested in the reasons why countries have different levels of crime and where the U.S. falls along the spectrum in relation to other countries in the world. Her current research project looks at crime in Eastern European countries and at how major social changes, such as the fall of Communism, affect crime rates.

Enku Ide is a graduate student in the Department of Sociology and a recipient of a National Science Foundation grant. Ide examines first-generation college and university students' experience, exploring issues of class identity and unionization in graduate student populations.