Faculty/Staff Detail

Brock Ternes, Sociology/Anthropology Department, presented twice during the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting held Aug. 10 to 13 in New York City. His first presentation, “What Happens when Cultural Theorists Fall Down a Well? Bourdieu, Veblen, and Water Supplies,” described how owning a private water well is a significant predictor of conspicuous water consumption and conservation, nuanced practices that appear to happen simultaneously during droughts. His second presentation, “Revisiting Dillman: Does the Design and Personalization of Mailed Invitations Influence Online Survey Response Rates?” was coauthored with Todd Little, a professor at Texas Tech University. Their work offered evidence that minor stylistic changes in mailed notifications to complete internet-based surveys are connected to variations in nonresponse.