Baylor Sociology Graduate Student Awarded National Science Foundation Grant

Follow us on Twitter: @BaylorUMediaCom

Media contact: Terry Goodrich, (254) 710-3321

WACO, Texas (April 23, 2012) - Sam Stroope, doctoral candidate in the department of sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences at Baylor University, has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support his dissertation on community context, gender and health in India.

The grant provides $4,690 -- $1,790 for domestic travel and $2,900 for materials and supplies -- towards Stroope's dissertation research through March 2013.

"I am extremely pleased that Sam got the NSF grant," said Dr. Paul Froese, associate professor of sociology at Baylor and Stroope's dissertation chair. "This is a big honor and very well deserved. Sam is an excellent sociologist and I expect some great findings and ideas to come from this grant. I am very happy for him."

In his research, Stroope said he uses large-scale social survey data to examine the patterning of disease and sickness as a consequence of different social roles of women and men in India. His dissertation will focus on a variety of social positions, stressors and coping resources that affect both men's and women's health.

Stroope said he feels honored to receive the award for his research, which he hopes will provide useful information for medical sociologists and public practitioners in India and elsewhere. The award would not have been possible, however, without the support he has received at Baylor, he said.

"My mentors and fellow graduate students encouraged me to apply for the NSF award," Stroope said. "The award reflects the quality of graduate student mentoring and research training in Baylor's sociology department."

About Baylor Sociology

The department of sociology at Baylor offers degrees at the undergraduate, masters and doctoral levels. There is a two-fold thrust in the program: the study of general sociological knowledge and the development of research skills. The application of social theories to various institutional areas, ranging from small groups to large organizations, is a major goal. Both the undergraduate and graduate programs have a strong research emphasis that includes: developing research designs, collecting data, analyzing those data through student use of the computer and presenting research results at professional meetings.

About Baylor

Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions.

About the College of Arts & Sciences

The College of Arts & Sciences is Baylor University's oldest and largest academic division, consisting of 27 academic departments and 13 academic centers and institutes. The more than 5,000 courses taught in the College span topics from art and theatre to religion, philosophy, sociology and the natural sciences. Faculty conduct research around the world, and research on the undergraduate and graduate level is prevalent throughout all disciplines.

by Katy McDowall, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805