Tiffany A. Parsons
EDUCATION
2020 Ph.D., Sociology, Georgia State University
Concentration: Race & Urban (Gender & Sexuality)
Dissertation: I Didn’t Know it was Harassment: Pervasive & Unrecognized Discrimination on the College Campus
2009 M.A., Sociology, University of West Georgia Thesis: Homelessness and The Homeless: A State of the Field.
2007 B.S., Sociology, University of West Georgia
HONORS and AWARDS
2019
● Outstanding Mentor Award, College of Social Science, University of West Georgia
● Award for Research Excellence, Department of Sociology, University of West Georgia 2013
● UWG 5-Star Online Course Award (Quality Matters Standards) o Introductory Sociology (short-term)
o Introductory Sociology (full-term) o Violence Against Women
EXPERIENCE
2009 - Present University of West Georgia Carrollton, GA Lecturer of Sociology, 2014 - present
Instructor of Sociology, 2009 - 2014
● Undergraduate Courses Taught:
o Introduction to Sociology (online & face-to-face) o Social Problems (online & face-to-face)
o Cultural and Racial Minorities/Sociology of Race o Sociology of Immigration
o Ghettoization and Deconcentration o Introduction to Women’s Studies o Marriage and Family
o Globalization and Women o Sociology of Gender
o Violence Against Women (online & face-to-face) o American Class System (online & face-to-face) o Intersectionality: Race & Sex
o Visual Sociology
o Housing and Homelessness
o Comparative Culture: Morocco & USA o Global-, Glocal-, & Grobal-ization o Sociological Theory
● Additional Responsibilities:
o Director, Study Abroad (Morocco) Program
o Member, Best Practices Committee, ADVANCE Grant, National Science Foundation.
o Director, Women’s Studies Program – 2010-2014 o Member, Responsible Sexuality Committee o Chair, Sociology Online Teaching Committee o Organizer, COSS Lecturers Forum
o Member, Undergraduate Program Committee
o Member, multiple search committees across the university o Officer, Phi Kappa Phi, UWG Chapter
● Directed Student Research
o 2018:Quamari Brown, Illustrations of the Looking Glass Self in at-risk middle school girls, presented at UWG’s Scholarship Day
o 2018: Yakira Hamilton, Coping mechanisms among at-risk middle school girls in an unsupportive school
o 2017:Brehann Heard, Participant Observation Black youth and math education APPLIED RESEARCH & EXPERIENCE:
1999 – Present Impact West Georgia . Carrollton, GA Adult and Community Education Director and Instructor
● Implement and evaluate programming to assist adult immigrants as they acclimate and learn to navigate a new culture, including English language and citizenship courses
● Implement and evaluate programming to empower adults with limited education, including GED and Reading & Writing courses
● Implement programming to empower lower and working class as well as un- or under- employed community members, including Money Management and Soft Skills courses as well as support groups and mentorships.
2007 – Present Impact West Georgia . Carrollton, GA Homeless Transition Program (Rapid Rehousing/Housing Ready Approach)
● Develop and Implement holistic program(s) to assist homeless navigate structural barriers and the institutional order, reach their goals, and ultimately transition from street (or motel) to independent and self-sufficient living.
● Train and Supervise Transition Assistants (similar to case managers/social workers)
● Conduct program evaluations
● Revise and alter program(s) based on evaluations as well as cultural, community, and structural changes.
2013 - 2020 Villa Rica Middle School Villa Rica, GA
Intervention for At-Risk Middle School Girls
● Developed a new method of identifying students at-risk of not graduating from high school using student engagement data from 4th and 5th grades.
● Co-developed an intervention at the request of VRMS administration
● Implemented & evaluated the intervention program
o This research was impacted by COVID-19 and was abruptly ended two months prior to expected completion.
● Results: participants’ grades increased, disciplinary interactions decreased, and three-quarters of the students who were to graduate in or before 2019 did so.
RESEARCH GRANTS:
2020. $1,500. “Homeless Program Evaluation: Converting program data to electronic format.” The University of West GA, Office of Undergraduate Research, Student Research Assistant Program.
2019. $2,000. “Girl Power!: Implementing & Testing an intervention for at-risk middle school girls to improve graduation rates at the school with the lowest overall and female graduation rates in the county.” Power of the Purse (administered by the West Georgia Community Foundation).
2019. $1,500. “Girl Power!: Implementing & Testing an intervention for at-risk middle school girls to improve graduation rates at the school with the lowest overall and female graduation rates in the county.” The University of West GA, Office of Undergraduate Research, Student Research Assistant Program.
2018. $1,500. “Girl Power!: Implementing and Testing intervention for at-risk middle school girls to improve graduation rates at the school with the lowest overall and female graduation rates in the county.”
The University of West GA, Office of Undergraduate Research, Student Research Assistant Program.
2017. $2,000. “Girl Power!: Developing & Implementing an intervention for at-risk middle school girls to improve graduation rates at the school with the lowest overall and female graduation rates in the county.” Power of the Purse (administered by the West Georgia Community Foundation).
2017. $1,500. “Girl Power!: Developing & Implementing an intervention for at-risk middle school girls to improve graduation rates at the school with the lowest overall and female graduation rates in the county.” The University of West GA, Office of Undergraduate Research, Student Research Assistant Program.
PUBLICATIONS:
Beggs Weber, Jennifer and Tiffany A. Parsons. 2020. “Another Skanky ‘Hood Girl’”: Intersections of Class &
Gender on Shameless’ South Side. Pp 148-163 in Shameless Sociology Newcastle upon Tyne, NE:
Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Parsons, Tiffany A. 2014. Review of My Dog Always Eats First: Homeless People and Their Animals. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare 41(3): 193-195.
Parsons, Tiffany A. 2013. The Tucked Away Community. Visual Sociology 7(November): 2-4.
WORKS IN PROGRESS/UNDER REVIEW:
Christopher, Kelley, Abigail Kolb, and Tiffany A. Parsons. First Fruits: Prison Seminary Model in a Women’s Prison, 2018-2020. Journal of Higher Education in Prison
Parsons, Tiffany A. I didn’t know it was Harassment: College Men’s Opinions about Behaviors College Women find Harassing.
Parsons, Tiffany A. Transitioning from Homeless to Home: Work, Knowledge & the Institutional Order.
Parsons, Tiffany A. and Pamela Pitman Brown. Society, Social Justice, & You. (in talks with Cognella/Flatworld)
PRESENTATIONS
Parsons, Tiffany A. and Pamela Pitman Brown. 2021. “Sociology in Action: HIPs & Social Justice” Presented at Georgia Sociological Association, Lake Lanier, GA. November.
Christopher, Kelley, Tiffany A. Parsons, and Abigail Kolb. 2021. First Fruits: Prison Seminary Model in a Women’s Prison, 2018-2020” Presented at Partners in Moral Rehabilitation Conference, Fort Worth, TX. October.
Parsons, Tiffany A. 2018. “I didn’t know it was Harassment: Men’s opinions and behaviors.” Presented at Southern Sociological Society 81st Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA. April.
Parsons, Tiffany A. 2018. “University to Middle-School: combining Scholarship and Service.” Presented at UWG COSS Social Science Conference, Carrollton, GA. (Presented by graduate student, Breahn Heard)
Smith, Cindy, Tiffany A. Parsons, Jessica Nauris, and Kayla Jules Smith. 2018. “Girls Empowered! A Gender Specific Mentoring Program.” Presented at Global Conference on Education and REsearch, Las Vegas, NV. April.
Parsons, Tiffany A. 2017. “University to Middle-School: combining scholarship & service.” Presented at the Georgia Sociological Association, Cordele, GA. November.
Parsons, Tiffany A. 2017. “Community Engaged Scholarship: Experiences & Encouraging Student Participation.” Presented at the Georgia Sociological Association, Cordele, GA. November.
Parsons, Tiffany A. 2010. “Managing the Latin American Threat: Race, Immigration, & Labor.”
Presented at the Georgia Sociological Association, Decatur, GA. October.
Parsons, Tiffany A. 2010. “Globalization and Violence Against Women in Latin America: The Link.”
Presented at the Society for the Study of Social Problems, Atlanta, GA. August.
McCandless, Jane N. and Tiffany A. Parsons. 2010. “Prime-Time Television and the Invisibility of the Aging Woman 2008 & 2009.” Presented at the Southern Sociological Society, Atlanta, GA. April.
Parsons, Tiffany A. 2009. “Transitioning from Homelessness: An Institutional Ethnography.” Presented at the
Georgia Sociological Association, Atlanta, GA. October.
McCandless, Jane N., Tiffany A. Parsons, Fawn Hayes-Hudson and Christina Jordan. 2008. “Prime-Time Television and the Invisibility of the Aging Woman.” Presented at the Southeastern Women’s Studies Association Conference, Charlotte, NC. April.
TALKS, LECTURES, ETC.
2020. “Working with Vulnerable Populations” for front-line workers and volunteers, Impact West GA.
Carrollton, GA. January 17, January 24, February 7, and February 14.
2019. “Serving Vulnerable Populations.” for professionals and volunteers, Impact West GA. Carrollton, GA.
May.
2019. “Affordable Housing and West GA’s Housing Distress.” COSS State of the Community, UWG.
February.
2018. “Phi Kappa Phi Key Note Address” Phi Kappa Phi Induction Ceremony, UWG. October
2017. “Serving Immigrants” for professionals and volunteers, Carriage Lane Presbyterian Church. Peachtree City, GA. August
2017. “Home as Identity and Homelessness” Presented in Honors Freshman Seminar, UWG. October.
2016. “West GA’s Homeless and the Barriers they face.” COSS State of the Community, UWG. February 2013. “Violence Against Women: Health and Societal Implications” Panelist following presentation.
Sponsored by the Office for Institutional Diversity, UWG.
2012. “Representations of Women in Media” Panelist following a presentation of
MissRepresentation” documentary sponsored by the Office of Institutional Diversity, UWG.
2010. “Constructing Gender” Panelist following a presentation of “Codes of Gender” documentary sponsored by the Responsible Sexuality Committee, UWG.
2010. “Race and Ethnicity in Education” presented in Diversity in Education, UWG.
2010. “Obstacles and Work Processes of Overcoming Poverty and Homelessness” presented in Poverty, UWG and Social Problems, UWG.
2009. “Homelessness & Poverty: U.S. and West Georgia in Global Perspective” presented
twice as Talkbacks following The West Georgia Theatre Company’s presentation of In The Blood, UWG.
2009. “Homelessness & The Homeless” presented in Social Problems, UWG.
2009. “Writing Workshop for Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Students”
presented in Victimology, Race and Crime, Art in Corrections, and U.S. Supreme Court, UWG.
2009. “Juvenile Delinquency and Homelessness: The Link” presented in Juvenile Delinquency, UWG.
2009. “Visual Methodology” presented in Art in Corrections, UWG.
2009. “Visual Methodology” presented in Research Methodology, UWG.
