Department of Sociology

Gary Oates joined the BGSU faculty in 2003. He is a social psychologist whose research is motivated by an interest in the relationship between structural factors and dispositions and behaviors that may have bearing upon social problems. Race, the racial context of environments, socioeconomic standing, and occupational conditions figure prominently among the structural factors that Dr. Oates’ research addresses, while self-appraisals, scholastic performance, cognitive functioning, and attitudes toward inequality rank highly at the dispositional/behavioral end of the spectrum. Dr. Oates’ prior professional experience includes a post-doctoral fellowship in the Laboratory of Socio-Environmental Studies at the National Institute of Mental Health, and a faculty position at the University of Connecticut. He received his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Maryland in 1993.