dpeters@iastate.edu | Tel. 515-294-6303 | 302 East Hall
David J. Peters is a Professor of Sociology and Extension Rural Sociologist at Iowa State University. His work broadly encompasses social and economic change in rural communities. Specific research areas include rural community vitality, rural population and health, and public perceptions of new genetic techniques in agriculture. Dr. Peters has published in top-tier journals in rural sociology, public health, agricultural economics, and criminology. He has been awarded grants from the National Science Foundation (SCC, Sociology, and NRT), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (AFRI), and the National Institute of Justice. Born and raised in Minnesota, he holds a B.S. cum laude from the University of Minnesota, and an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Missouri. Dr. Peters has 25 years of experience in applied rural policy. He worked as a policy analyst for Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) on rural healthcare, economic development, and telecommunications. He was a senior researcher and policy advisor for the Missouri Department of Economic Development on rural tax credits, rural economic development, and workforce policy in Missouri. As an Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska, he studied the economic and farm impacts of the ethanol industry.
rbalayar@iastate.edu | Tel. 515-294-2493 | 308 East Hall
Dr. Ramesh B. Balayar is an Assistant Teaching Professor and an Academic Faculty Advisor for Agricultural and Rural Policy Studies. His research interest concerns smallholder farmers and rural women’s empowerment in the Global South. He has more than fifteen years of working experience in rural community development, governmental programs and policies, international non-governmental organizations, and the United Nations. Dr. Balayar has traveled to several countries around the world, including North Korea. Born and raised in a small and remote village in the Doti District of Nepal, he holds MA in Sociology from Tribhuvan University, M.Phil in Development Studies from Kathmandu University, and Ph.D. in Sociology from Iowa State University. Dr. Balayar has won the Graduate College Teaching Excellence Award for Fall 2018. He teaches Environmental Sociology; Global Poverty, Resources, Sustainable Development; Transition in Agriculture; Social Class, and Inequality and Rural Society in Transition. As an Academic Advisor, Dr. Balayar closely and enthusiastically works with students majoring in Agricultural and Rural Policy Studies and provides timely support.
dentzman@iastate.edu | Tel. 515-294-2563
Dr. Katherine Dentzman earned her B.A. as a double major in Environmental Science and Sociology at Central Michigan University and both her M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology with a specialization in Ecological Food and Farming Systems at Michigan State University. After graduation she held multiple USDA-funded postdoctoral research associate positions at both Washington State University and University of Idaho, followed by a position with the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture as a Social Science Program Specialist. Dr. Dentzman specializes in transdisciplinary agri-food research at the intersection of environmental and social sustainability. Using mixed methods designs and a grounding in critical theory, she has contributed a unique sociological perspective to nearly a dozen separate research teams.
sdorius@iastate.edu | Tel. 515-294-6480
Dr. Dorius conducts research in the areas of social demography, social and cultural change, and research methods. These days, his research focuses on substance use and well-being, rural communities, computational social science methods, and translational science. What links these streams together is an interest in moving sound social science data into action within the context of individual and community health and wellbeing. He gives special attention to population science and the rural context. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health. He teaches courses in demography, international development, research methods and community. Prior to arriving at Iowa State University, Dr. Dorius was a postdoctoral scholar at the Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan and a research associate at the Survey Research Center in the Institute for Social Research. To learn more about what Dr. Dorius is currently up to, visit his website.
smindes@iastate.edu | Tel. 515-294-2556
Dr. Mindes is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Rural Sociology at Iowa State University in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice. He earned his M.A. (2015) and Ph.D. (2019) in sociology from Michigan State University. His appointment at Iowa State includes research, teaching, and extension responsibilities. His postdoctoral training at Idaho was in the Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology Department. Working with Dr. Paul Lewin, I was involved in a variety of projects related to minority and immigrant entrepreneurship in collaboration with economists. He previously taught in the Department of Sociology at Washington State University, teaching social theory, social problems, social research methods, sociology of sport, and youth and society.
His primary research areas are global migration, community development, ethnic economies and communities, and globalization. He is also interested in population studies, migrant labor, and the sociology of sport. His dissertation, “Emigrant America: Estimating and Envisaging Expatriation to Canada and Mexico,” investigated emigration from the United States to Canada and Mexico, adding to our understanding of the North American Migration System. His current projects investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural workers and the barriers to self-employment for disadvantaged groups.
arbuckle@iastate.edu | Tel. 515-294-1497
My research and extension efforts focus on improving the environmental and social performance of agricultural systems. My main area of interest is drivers of farmer and agricultural stakeholder decision making and action related to soil and water quality and adaptation to climate change. I direct the Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll, an annual survey of Iowa farmers.
cbain@iastate.edu | Tel. 515-294-9895
Dr. Bain has served as Assoc Dean since 2020. She is also a professor in the Department of Sociology. A native of New Zealand, and first-generation college student, Bain completed her sociology BA and MA from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and her PhD from Michigan State University. Bain’s teaching and research interests include the sociology of agriculture, food systems and the environment; gender and international development; and the social dimensions of agricultural biotechnologies. She has lived and/or worked in Brazil, Chile, Ghana, Italy, the EU, New Zealand, Uganda, and the U.S.
As Assoc Dean, Bain is responsible for leading the college’s work related to undergraduate programs and policies, curriculum development, learning outcomes and assessment, external program reviews, and high impact practices, including undergraduate research and internships. She works closely with our Study Abroad office.
Bain supports teaching faculty, staff and student efforts to expand the culture and practice of innovation that enhance the student experience and student success. She co-leads the CALS Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows, Directs the undergraduate Pathways to Innovation and Leadership program, the Dean’s Global Agriculture and Food Leadership program, and leads our work related to the Student Innovation Center, including managing the CALS Collaborative Learning Labs 4227 and 4229 in the SICTR.
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