Elizabeth Witcher

Person smiling with shoulder length wavy dark hair

Position Title
Graduate Student Researcher

259 SS&H
Office Hours
Contact via email if you wish to set up a meeting.
Bio

Education

  • University of California, Davis - Master of Arts: Sociology (2020)
  • University of Oregon - Bachelor of Science: Sociology and Psychology with a minor in Gender Studies (2017)

About

I grew up in Southern Oregon. I am a first-generation high school and college graduate. I worked for many years in customer service before I began college in my mid-20s as a non-traditional student.

I attended Portland Community College and then transferred to University of Oregon. During my time as an undergraduate, I assisted in research in both the psychology and sociology departments. My McNair/Honors thesis focused on the use of new media (specifically Instagram) by marginalized communities (specifically those with vitiligo). I am active in the vitiligo community helping to bring awareness and break down stigma. I am also active in the mentorship of first-generation college students. I have gone through this journey learning some of the hidden curricula of academia and am happy to share this knowledge!

I love methods, especially those that take an intersectional feminist approach! In graduate school, I have been involved in mixed-methods projects studying hashtag campaigns on new media (Twitter and Instagram).

Resources for Undergraduates interested in Research:

https://mcnair.ucdavis.edu/

https://sociology.ucdavis.edu/undergraduate/academic-honors-1

Other Helpful Resources:

https://firstgen.ucdavis.edu/

https://opportunity.ucdavis.edu/programs/trio-scholars/apply

https://thepantry.ucdavis.edu/

Recommended vitiligo resources:

https://littyligo.org/

https://livingdappled.com/

I highly suggest following the above on social media (i.e. Instagram and Facebook)
For more resources reach out to me.

Research Focus

Culture - Media

Designated Emphasis (DE) in Feminist Theory and Research

Publications

I decided to make my undergraduate thesis* publicly available given the gap in sociological research on vitiligo and at the request of students/scholars:

https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/n5krd/

*I produced this work as an undergraduate honors thesis for the University of Oregon sociology department during the 2016-2017 academic year advised by Dr. CJ Pascoe. This work was adapted further as part of the McNair Scholars Program advised by Dr. CJ Pascoe (Thesis Advisor) and Dr. Gail Unruh (Program Director) with the final submission of the thesis made to the McNair Scholars Program in January 2018.

Teaching

Instructor:

Fall 2023 & Fall 2022 - SOC 46: Introduction to Social Research

2021 - Feminist Research Institute: Asking Different Questions (ADQ) Scholar and Facilitator

Assistantships:

2024

Spring - Graduate Student Researcher in the Sociology Department

Winter - SOC 132: Gender

2023

Summer - SOC 131: Family

Spring - SOC 131: Family

Winter - SOC 132: Gender

2021-2022

Summer - SOC 153: Childhood

Spring - SOC 46: Introduction to Social Research

Winter - SOC 153: Childhood

Fall - SOC 46A: Introduction to Social Research

2020-2021

Summer - SOC 126: Social Interaction, SOC 153: Childhood

Spring - SOC 122: Adolescence

Winter - SOC 135: Social Relationships

Fall - SOC 126: Social Interaction

2019-2020

Summer - SOC 185: Social Policy, SOC 46A: Introduction to Social Research, SOC 126: Social Interaction

Spring - SOC 159: Work & Employment

Winter - SOC 46A: Introduction to Social Research

Fall - Graduate Student Researcher in the Anthropology Department

2018-2019

Spring - SOC 131: Sociology of Families

Winter - SOC 001: Introduction to Sociology through Coffee

Fall - SOC 126: Social Interaction