Graduate Teaching Assistants and Fellows

Solomon Amoatey

Solomon is a fourth-year PhD student and will serve as a teaching assistant in the fall semester for Dr. Michal Kofman's SOC 301 Social Statistics course, as well as a research assistant for Dr. Jasmine Whiteside.  Solomon holds a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from the University of Ghana and a master of arts degree in sociology from the University of Toledo, Ohio. His research explores the experiences of people with disabilities in the Global South. Solomon is deeply committed to defending the rights, freedoms and opportunities experienced by people with disabilities and by people in the Global South more broadly. He is also interested in health, social policy and social inequalities. His master’s thesis research involved the qualitative data collection and analysis of interviews with persons with disability in Ghana. 

  |   (502) 852-8044   |   113 Lutz Hall

Sasha Belinova

Sasha is a first-year PhD student, having  and will serve as a research assistant for Dr. Lauren Heberle and the Center for Environmental Policy and Management.  She earned her BA in sociology from Bellarmine University and recently earned her MA in sociology from UofL. During her time as an undergraduate student, she participated in local organizations such as the Coalition for the Homeless, and her thesis work explored the relationship between local housing policy and eviction rates in Louisville

      |   (502) 852-8046   |   116 Lutz Hall 

Jon Ellis

Jon is a first-year PhD. student who will teach his own course, SOC 202 Social Problems, this fall. Jon graduated from the University of North Florida with a BA in sociology, a minor in psychology, and a concentration in social welfare policy - and recently earned his MA in sociology from UofL, focusing his thesis work on how unhoused Black men navigate urban spaces and how masculinity manifests when traditional forms have been stripped.  When he has free time, Jon enjoys spending time with his newlywed wife traveling and hiking. He also loves spending time with his two dogs, Indie and Kobe.

   |   (502) 852-3869   | 106 Lutz Hall

Jordan Gatewood

Jordan is second-year MA student who will serve as a research assistant for Dr. Lauren Heberle and the Community Engagement Core of the University of Louisville Superfund Research Center. She graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a BA in sociology and a BBA in marketing research and analytics. Jordan is currently working on her thesis exploring how the lived experiences of communities facing environmental harms are portrayed in the media. She is looking at the Flint Water Crisis as a specific case study. In her free time, Jordan likes to read and spend time with her dog Killian.

   |   (502) 852-8046   |    116 Lutz Hall

Zohal Ghoura

Zohal is a second-year MA student and will serve as an editorial assistant to Dr. Hiromi Taniguchi, who will become editor of Social Currents in 2025.  Zohal graduated from American University of Central Asia with a major in sociology and a minor in international and comparative politics and has research interests in gender and wellbeing, as well as the dynamics of identity and migration.  She is passionate about these subjects and eager to explore them further in her academic pursuits.

 |   (502) 852-8023   | 111 Lutz Hall

Millicent Gyan 

  |  (502) 852-8010  |  107 Lutz Hall

Vannah Hatton

Vannah is a second-year PhD student who received their BA in sociology and communications from Indiana University Southeast and their MA in sociology from the University of Louisville. Their research interests include gender, sexuality, and popular culture, with a particular focus in Transgender Studies. Their Master's thesis explored how gender is represented in the TikToks of nonbinary content creators. Vannah's hobbies include watching anime, crocheting, playing Dungeons & Dragons, screenwriting, reading fantasy novels, and listening to the British rock band Queen. They live with their dog Oscar who is their best friend and closest companion.

   |   (502) 852-8023   |   111 Lutz Hall

Marcellos Jackson

Marcellos is a second-year MA student and research assistant for Dr. Lauren Heberle working on the EPA Brownfields Grant. Marcellos graduated from Western Kentucky University with a major in sociology and a minor in psychology and has research interests in unhoused communities and environmental sociology. In his free time, he enjoys playing video games and he was on Western’s Esport Team.

  |  (502) 852-8046  |  116 Lutz Hall

Autumn Martin

Autumn is a third-year PhD student and will teach SOC 202 Social Problems this fall. She received her MA in sociology and BS in psychology from Middle Tennessee State University. Her thesis looked at the effects that COVID-19 had on working mothers in the nursing profession. At the doctoral level, she is interested in sexuality, gender, and medical sociology, specifically overturning of Roe V Wade, how it is affecting women's experiences with receiving healthcare, and how it affects medical providers who provide care in states with strict abortion bans. When she has free time she enjoys training in martial arts.

     |   (502) 852-8044   |   113 Lutz Hall 

Julian Miller

Julian is a second-year PhD student who will serve as a teaching assistant this fall, working with Dr. Jonetta Weber on course development projects. Julian holds an MA in sociology from New Mexico State University and a BA in philosophy from Duquesne University. He is primarily interested in the disparities between development organizations’ interpretations of a region’s socioeconomic needs and the reality of day-to-day life in these areas. Drawing from methodologies such as phenomenological interviewing to Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), Julian’s goal has been to portray these communities as authentic sources of local knowledge and traditions instead of corporate economic “projects”. While the majority of his work has focused on Central Appalachia, Julian is looking forward to engaging with urban communities as well regarding issues such as environmental racism and internal displacement.

   |   (502) 852-8045   | 115 Lutz Hall

Kristin Heck Sajadi

Kristin is a third-year PhD student who is a Rieger Fellow and will work with Dr. Melanie Gast and the Athena/COACHE team this fall.  Kristin earned a BA in sociology and business administration from Vanderbilt University and her MA from the University of Memphis. She is the founder of Shyft Strategies, LLC, which was born from the desire to inspire organizational leaders to embrace their capacity to drive positive sustainable change and create environments where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. In addition to running Shyft, Kristin has held instructor and adjunct faculty positions at the University of Memphis and at Eastern Kentucky University, respectively. In her free time, Kristin enjoys spending time with her family and dogs, hiking, and scuba diving.

   |   (502) 852-8010   | 107 Lutz Hall