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Jay Irwin's Information |
Assistant Professor of Sociology |
Jay A. Irwin is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He received a PhD in Medical Sociology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2009. He started his position at UNO in the Fall of 2009.
Dr. Irwin's research interests are in the area of medical sociology, specifically health disparities of marginalized communities. To date these communities include the homeless, self-identified southern lesbians, and the LGBT population of Nebraska. He has published work in Social Science & Medicine, Journal of Health Psychology, Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Women's Health Issues, and Journal of General Internal Medicine. Past research includes investigations on the mental health of the homeless as it relates to stress, social connectivity, and social capital; tracking access to health care among the homeless over a 10 year period; suicidal thoughts among the homeless; the general health of lesbians as compared to heterosexual women in the south; and alcohol use and abuse among southern lesbians. His current research focuses on health and social issues of members of the LGBT community of Nebraska, including suicide ideation and attempts, transgender identity formation, and depression. Future research interests include the use of internet technology for sexual and gender minority communities, the coverage of sexual and gender minorities in popular media, and issues of access to appropriate health care.
Dr. Irwin currently teaches Introductory Sociology, Research Methods, Medical Sociology, and Contemporary Social Topics: Sociology of Sexualities. In the near future, he will be teaching Social Statistics. Other teaching interests include Sociology of Mental Health, Sociology of Gender, and a graduate level course in Medical Sociology. Dr. Irwin is also Affiliated Faculty with Women's and Gender Studies.
Dr. Irwin is involved in a number of professional organizations, including the American Sociological Association, Midwest Sociological Society, Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, and American Public Health Association. Locally, Dr. Irwin participates in the Professional Transgender Resource Network, an organization of medical providers, counselors, lawyers, academics, and community members dedicated to increasing access to pertinent services for the transgender and gender non-conforming population of Nebraska.