Claudia Rocha
MA Program
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Ted Curry
Thesis: Gottfredson & Hirschi's Low Self-Control Theory
Internships: Aside from having a Teaching Assistantship within the department, no.
Post MA in Sociology
PhD Program: Upon completing my degree at UTEP, I continued my education at Texas A&M Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é, pursuing a PhD in Sociology with my areas of concentration being in Crime & Deviance, and Social Psychology. My dissertation continues work on Low Self-Control Theory by aiming to expand its explanation power to include the neighborhood context. During this time, I have been the recipient of a Sociology Academic Recognition Scholarship, Texas Aggie Graduate Scholarship, Texas A&M Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é, National Science Foundation’s EDGE-SBE Fellowship, Hispanic Scholarship Fund/The Peierls Foundation, Inc. Shooting Star Scholarship, and a Graduate Teaching Assistantship within the department.
Publications:
- Geesey, Jason and Claudia S. Rocha (2012) “Self-Control Theory: Recognizing Your Company’s Vulnerability to Employee Theft” The Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge. 17(2):198-203
Jobs: I currently work at El Paso Community College and Park Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é as an instructor in Sociology.
How has the MA in Sociology program prepared you? While my undergrad studies helped introduce me to the world of Sociology, it was during my grad years that I gained a greater appreciation for the theoretical aspect of Sociology. This is what I now stress upon my students. I want them to understand why people do what they do by putting things in a theoretical context. I really want my students to understand the difference between common sense and systematic analysis. Thankfully, to date, I have gotten several "a-ha" moments when my students reveal to me that although they were aware of certain behaviors they never really understood it until they worked through them using one of our theoretical lenses.
Organization memberships: I have been a member of both the American Sociological Association as well as the American Society of Criminology. Aside from these professional organizations, I am also a founding member of Educators for Effective Teaching and principal violist with the El Paso Chamber Orchestra.
Future Goals: Going forward, I would like to not only complete my PhD, but also continue working in education.
Education
BA- Sociology minor in Criminal Justice, The Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Texas at El El Paso, 2005
MA- Sociology, The Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é of Texas at El Paso, 2005
Email: csrocha98@gmail.com
Favorite Memory
The camaraderie! I never felt I was alone in this program. Every time I had questions and/or concerns, there was always someone (faculty, staff, or peers) there to help me through it.