Dr. Pierce Greenberg
The Social Science Data Lab is an initiative led by Dr. Pierce Greenberg, who is entering his third year as an assistant professor of sociology at Creighton University. Dr. Greenberg has expertise and experience in quantitative analysis, survey research design and methods, and spatial analysis and GIS. His most recent project, the Omaha Eviction Project, looks at the uneven racial distribution of evictions in Omaha.
He can be reached at piercegreenberg@creighton.edu His peer-reviewed publications can be viewed on Google Scholar.
Dr. Erin Blankenship-Sefczek
Dr. Erin Blankenship-Sefczek is a biological and forensic anthropologist who specializes in skeletal analysis and quantitative statistics. Her most recent projects explores how ancient Maya social complexity impacts overall health indicators. Another project focuses on how diet and childhood physiological stress impacts dental development. She can be reached at ErinBlankenship-Sefczek@creighton.edu.
Dr. Sabrina Danielsen
Dr. Sabrina Danielsen studies religion, social problems, environmental politics, gender, and the social construction of race. Her primary research methods are content analysis and comparative historical methods. She is currently working on an interdisciplinary research project with Dr. Dan DiLeo and student Emily Burke that compiled a groundbreaking dataset of more than 12,000 bishops’ columns in 171 Catholic dioceses. They are using content analysis to understand how American Catholic leaders have and haven’t discussed climate change in recent years. She can be reached at SabrinaDanielsen@creighton.edu.
Dr. Dan DiLeo
Dr. Dan DiLeo is the director of the Justice and Peace Studies program at Creighton. He has served as a consultant for the Catholic Climate Covenant, a non-profit organization in Washington, D.C., since 2009. He recently published an article about how public theology can be informed by social science. He is working with Dr. Danielsen on a content analysis of Catholic diocese newsletters to examine the ways bishops are (and aren’t) communicating about climate change. He can be reached at DanDiLeo@creighton.edu.
Dr. Kevin Estep
Dr. Kevin Estep specializes in the quantitative analysis of publicly available data related to topics such as public health, politics, and polarization. He also has experience with qualitative interviews and content analysis. His most recent research looks at the relationship between partisanship and vaccine policy positions at the state level. An upcoming project will examine variation in compliance to social distancing recommendations following the COVID-19 outbreak. He can be reached at KevinEstep@Creighton.edu
Cathy Fox
Cathy has spent over a decade working in the field of grief and loss, grounded in trauma, child development, and family systems, with a strong background in mental health and suicide. She also has significant experience in nonprofit administration and program development. As the Field Education Director for the Social Work program, Cathy interfaces with the community to develop and supervise agency-based practicum placements for students. Cathy is available to consult in areas of grief, trauma, suicide prevention/postvention, child development, program development, and nonprofit management. She can be reached at CathyFox@Creighton.edu.
Dr. Laura Heinemann
Dr. Laura Heinemann is an associate professor of anthropology at Creighton. Her research focuses primarily on ethnographic studies of caregiving and kinship. Her most recent project examines the experiences of caregivers and patients involved in in-home care following hospitalization. She has also collaborated on projects related to social capital and refugee settlement in Omaha. She can be reached at LauraHeinemann@Creighton.edu.
Dr. LaShaune Johnson
LaShaune Johnson is an associate professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies and the Assistant Director at the Creighton University at Highlander space. She uses community-based participatory research methods, arts-based methods, and qualitative methods. Much of her work is focused on understanding role of intersecting systems of oppression on Black cancer survivors’ journeys across the cancer continuum. She also works as a culturally-responsive, race equitable evaluator. She can be reached at LaShauneJohnson@Creighton.edu.
Dr. Dawn Irlbeck
Dr. Dawn Irlbeck is an expert on criminal justice, policing, race, and victimization. She has experience partnering with local organizations and law enforcement agencies to conduct program evaluations and other researcher-practitioners partnerships to help reduce crime. She can be reached at DawnIrlbeck@Creighton.edu.
Dr. Angela J. Lederach
Dr. Angela J. Lederach is a cultural anthropologist who specializes in war and peace, environmental and food justice, social movements, multispecies relations, and youth. She has expertise in ethnographic methods, narrative and qualitative analysis, and participatory action research. Her most recent project examines the uneven and contested landscape of peacebuilding in Colombia using participatory research with grassroots peace movements on the northern coast. She can be reached at AngieLederach@Creighton.edu.
Dr. Eric Meyer
Dr. Eric Meyer, an Omaha native, studies behavioral change within the areas of criminal justice related to incarceration and rehabilitation. His most recent research involved an ethnography at a youth correctional facility, where he assessed the therapeutic climate available to inmates to reduce the likelihood of recidivism. He earned his Ph.D. in Public Health from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He can be reached at EricMeyer@Creighton.edu.
Dr. Rebecca Murray
Dr. Rebecca Murray is Associate Dean for the Social and Applied Sciences. She studies wrongful conviction, victim advocacy, and the effects of place on crime. Her methodological expertise includes both quantitative methods (using statistics and mapping) and qualitative methods such as interviews and focus groups. Her most recent projects are evaluations of agencies that link employment, law enforcement, and collaborative intervention. She can be reached at RebeccaMurray@Creighton.edu.
Dr. Cristina Pop
Dr. Pop is a medical anthropologist who specializes in sexual and reproductive health and healthcare in Eastern Europe and the U.S. Her most recent project examines the changing landscapes of reproductive medicine in post-communist Romania and the ways women navigate access to care in a context of perceived reproductive vulnerability. She can be reached at CristinaPop@Creighton.edu.
Dr. Alexander Roedlach
Dr. Alex Roedlach, associate professor of anthropology, is currently the chair of the Department of Cultural and Social Studies. He has expertise in a range of qualitative (ethnography/interviewing/focus groups), quantitative (survey research), mixed methods (group concept mapping and intercultural competence assessment), and applied research methods such as participatory action research. As a medical anthropologist, he recently completed a yearlong study with CHI Health to evaluate the impact of a program on the health and wellbeing of clients.
Read more about his research on his personal website, and contact him at roedlach@creighton.edu
Dr. Renzo Rosales
Dr. Renzo Rosales studies applied anthropology, economic and ecologic anthropology, globalization and development, and Latin American Studies. Past projects include research on Afro Caribbean communities in Omaha. Renzo is also an ordained member of the Society of Jesus (SJ). He can be reached at RenzoRosales@Creighton.edu.
Dr. Ryan Wishart
Dr. Ryan Wishart studies environmental sociology, political economy, and ecology. His research has focused on the social and environmental problems associated with coal extraction in the rural Appalachian region, social movements, and elite political organization and mobilization. He recently published an article using network analysis to illustrate how fossil fuel interests were embedded into policymaking networks. He can be reached at RyanWishart@creighton.edu.
