Faculty
Jump to: Laura Chambers : : Heather Downs : : Shelley Grant : : Nathan Rousseau
Dr. Laura Chambers
Director of Service-Learning & Part-time Sociology FacultyService-Learning Center website
Interests:
Community, Stratification, EducationCourses Taught at JU:
Green Societies
Introduction to SociologyAcademic Background:
Ph.D. & M.A., Department of Sociology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
B.A., Departments of Sociology and Women’s Studies, University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee
Hello! My name is Heather Downs and I’m an assistant professor of sociology at Jacksonville University. I have been working at JU since August of 2009. Currently I teach classes on introductory sociology, race and ethnicity, social stratification, gender, and the family. One of the greatest benefits of working at JU is the small class size. I find that I enjoy class interaction and working with undergraduates. One of the best parts about this classroom interaction is getting to know the students as individuals.
I grew up in Springfield, Illinois which is a town that is famous for several reasons: Abraham Lincoln, acting as the state capital, having the first drive thru restaurant and the horseshoe. In Springfield, horseshoes are not footwear for horses but refer to a culinary dish involving Texas toast, a hamburger patty, fries and cheese sauce. If you ever visit Springfield, don’t leave without trying one!
After my graduation from high school, I wanted to move to a big city so I decided to attend Loyola University in Chicago for my undergraduate degree. Living in the city was a wonderful and eye opening experience. In a large metropolitan place for the first time in my life, I realized that I loved learning about other people and cultures. I eventually combined that interest with my love of travel and studied abroad for 6 months during my junior year. As an undergraduate living in Rome, Italy I explored ancient buildings, saw breathtaking works of art and ate some incredible food. More importantly, I met people from all over the world and learned about myself as a person. I always tell students that if you can live in a foreign country for a semester, then you can do anything!
Studying abroad and my excellent education from Loyola inspired me to apply to graduate school. After a short career in public relations, I entered the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As a graduate student I worked as a teaching assistant and discovered a love of teaching that continues today. During my graduate studies I also had the pleasure of working with excellent faculty members who are leaders in their fields. Taking classes in gender, race, family and inequality was fascinating to me. Through the mentorship of some wonderful professors and my own intellectual curiosity and motivation I eventually completed an M.A. and a Ph.D. One of my best memories is of walking across the stage at graduation and hearing the announcer call me “Dr. Downs”.
My dissertation was an examination into the scrapbooking industry. I wanted to analyze why women were drawn to the hobby and why they chose to make scrapbooks that involved their family members. Currently I am working on turning my dissertation into an academic publication. I have also started the early stages of my next big project involving American consumer behavior. I am looking forward to developing my research portfolio and am thinking of ways to encourage undergraduates to pursue their own research interests.
When I’m not working, I enjoy going to the beach, reading, listening to music, and playing with my dog. Additionally, I love to travel and try to take at least two trips a year. Looking in my office you will see that I am a huge fan of the Beatles. I even named my dog after my favorite Beatle! Combining my love of travel and the band, I would eventually like to take a trip that visits all of the sites from early Beatles history.
Shelley Grant has been teaching criminal justice and sociology courses in the Division of Social Sciences at Jacksonville University since 1998. Courses include such topics as criminology, deviance, organized crime, women and crime and juvenile delinquency.
In addition to teaching at J.U., Shelley spent fifteen years directing the juvenile justice programs for the State Attorney’s Office in Jacksonville and currently holds the position of Director of Full Service Schools at United Way.
Shelley is an alumnus of Jacksonville University with a major in Sociology and a minor in Business Administration. She also holds a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from The University of North Florida.
She is married with two beautiful daughters, ages 13 and 8. She loves spending time with her family, reading and going to the beach – doing all three at the same time is her idea of a perfect day!
Dr. Nathan Rousseau
I have been teaching at Jacksonville Unuiversity since 1999. Since that time I have gotten to know many people with different interests and varying academic skills and have seen them grow and flourish. I received my Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Oregon in 1993. My dissertation was in the area of the sociology of religion. I have publications in the areas of religion, social psychology, African-American studies, and globalization. The courses that I teach reflect these interests. For additional information about my background and interests, please visit my personal website.
