Department of Sociology and Family Studies

Meet the Sociology Department faculty and staff

Dr. Bullard
256.765.4531
jhbullard@una.edu
www.una.edu/faculty/jbullard

Dr. Bullard began her teaching career in 1983 at the University of Montevallo after completing her doctorate degree in Sociology at Virginia Tech. She joined the faculty in the Department of Sociology at UNA in 1992. In addition to her teaching, Dr. Bullard is serving as the Interim Chair of the Department, Learning Communities Coordinator, and Director of Summer School for the University. She has also served the University in the past as University Ombudsman and Associate to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Dr. Bullard is a member of Alpha Kappa Delta, Phi Kappa Phi, and Omicron Delta Kappa. She is married and has two children, Drew and Leslie and one adorable Yorkie (Little Bit).

Ms. Shirley Grant-Rhodes
256.765.4200
stgrant@una.edu.

Ms. Shirley T. Grant-Rhodes is an Administrative Assistant in the Sociology Department at the University of North Alabama.  She is a graduate of the University of North Alabama where she obtained her B.S. degree in Business Education and Administration.  She also has further studies at Alabama A&M University, Normal, Alabama toward a Business Education degree, at UNA toward a Master's of Business Administration degree.

In her time off, she enjoys being a musician at First Missionary Baptist Church, Sheffield, Alabama and being the owner of Grant Properties, a real estate firm, in Sheffield, Alabama.

Dr. Amber Paulk
256.765.4855
apaulk@una.edu
 
Dr. Amber Paulk received her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from Auburn University in 2008.  She served as an Assistant Professor at Central Washington University from 2008-2011.  She joined the UNA faculty in 2011.  Dr. Paulk is Certified Family Life Educator and teaches family studies courses within the department.  She is currently engaged in several interdisciplinary research projects.  Outside of work, Dr. Paulk enjoys reading (mostly memoirs) and traveling.

Dr. Robertson
256.765.5006
ctrobertson@una.edu

Dr. Craig Robertson joined the UNA faculty in 1998 after spending one year at Averett University in Danville, VA. and three years at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT. Introduced to sociology while pursuing an undergraduate degree at the University of Montevallo, he was immediately struck by the relevance of this discipline to contemporary social issues and problems. One of those issues involved the legal system and its relationship to crime and civil rights.  

After working as a booking and release officer in the Lucas County Jail in Toledo, Ohio, he began graduate studies in sociology at Mississippi State University. Today, his teaching and research interests are strongly related to crime management and social justice issues and the role that communities, legal institutions, and social scientific disciplines play toward achieving those ends.

Dr. T
256.765.4527
satakeuchi@una.edu

Dr. Alex Takeuchi (also known as Dr. “T”) is the winner of UNA’ Academic Affaires Award for Outstanding Research (2009) and the American Education Week’s Teacher of the Year Award for Scholarship (2009). He joined the faculty at UNA in 1999 after completing his doctorate in Sociology with specialization in Social Psychology and Crime/Deviance at Washington State University, where he received the James F. Short, Jr. Research Excellence Award. As a scholar with diverse interests, Dr. T has published his work in the areas of interpersonal attraction, child socialization, social philosophy, social history and Japanese art history. He is an Associate Editor of Asian Social Science and an editorial board member of Marriage & Family Review. At UNA, Dr. T also serves as the University Ombudsman.

In his free time, Dr. T enjoys studying about criminal justice system in Edo period Japan and appreciating antique samurai swords. (See Dr. T’s “Nihonto Random Thoughts” page.) An avid martial artist, Dr. T holds a black belt in Karate and studies Iai-do, the traditional Japanese martial art of rapid and tactical sword deployment.

Dr. May Takeuchi
256.765.4538
mmtakeuchi@una.edu

Dr. May Takeuchi earned her Ph.D. in sociology from Washington State University in 2005. She joined the UNA faculty in 2008 after teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses at WSU and serving as an assistant professor at University of West Alabama 2006-2008. Her research interests include small group dynamics, conflict resolution, emotions, and quantitative methods. She teaches courses including Social Problems, Self and Social Interaction, Social Psychology, and Statistics as well as Introductory Sociology. She also serves as the faculty advisor of Alpha Kappa Delta, Sociology Honor Society. At a personal level, Dr. May is a big cat lover and she studies Jodo and Aikido (i.e., Japanese martial arts).