Social Sciences Researchers
Gerad Middendorf
Dr. Gerad Middendorf is a professor of sociology and Interim Head of K-State’s Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work. A faculty member since 2001, Dr. Middendorf’s main research interests include rural and environmental studies, the sociology of agriculture and food, international development, and science and technology studies. He is a researcher on the NIFA/USDA project “Resilience and vulnerability of beef cattle production in the Southern Great Plains under changing climate, land use, and markets.” Dr. Middendorf’s work examines the social and environmental implications of the agrifood system, agrarian landscape transition, and agricultural science and technology policy.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in business economics and finance from Southern Illinois University, a Master of Arts degree in International Affairs/Latin American Studies from Ohio University, and a doctoral degree in sociology from Michigan State University.
Read more about Dr. Middendorf and his research.
Matthew Sanderson
Dr. Matthew Sanderson is an associate professor of sociology in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work at K-State. He is a social scientist with interests in population, environment, and development. His recent research investigates how social relations inhibit or allow natural resource conservation. His projects examine how social structures influence groundwater management at multiple scales (from community to global); how social networks shape participation in group decision-making within common pool resource settings; how social factors affect adoption of irrigation technologies; and how culture influences perceptions of the science, knowledge, and information used to make decisions about agricultural adaptations.
Dr. Sanderson graduated from K-State with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics and a master’s degree in sociology. He earned his doctorate in sociology from the University of Utah in 2008.
Learn more about Dr. Sanderson’s research.
