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Jody Clay-Warner

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Meigs Professor
Director, Owens Institute for Behavioral Research

Dr. Jody Clay-Warner, Meigs Professor of Sociology (view Dr. Clay-Warner's Meigs video) and Director of the Owens Institute for Behavioral Research, has been at the University of Georgia since 1998. She received a Ph.D. in Sociology from Emory University, and her specialty areas include social psychology, criminology, and gender.  She is the co-editor of Social Psychology Quarterly and the co-director of the Laboratory for the Study of Social Interaction (LaSSI).

The overarching goal of her research is to understand responses to injustice. She considers this issue from both a basic and applied perspective.  Specifically, she examines the underlying processes that guide responses to injustice, as well as the implications of these processes for reactions to concrete forms of injustice, such as criminal victimization. She employs experimental and survey methods to investigate these issues, and her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of State. Her current projects focus on human trafficking victimization in Sub-Saharan Africa, the mental and physical health effects of violent victimization, and the relationship between gendered violence and inequality.

Her courses include Experimental Methods in Sociology (SOCI 4930/6930); Gender, Crime, and Justice (SOCI 8840); Theories of Social Psychology (SOCI 8730); and Introductory Sociology for Honors (SOCI 1101H).

Education:
  • Ph.D., Sociology, Emory University, 1997
  • M.A., Psychology, Georgia State University, 1992
  • B.A., Speech Communication, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1990
Selected Publications:
  • Clay-Warner, Jody, Tenshi Kawashima, and Timothy G. Edgemon. 2022. “Measure of Personal Network Size Using Known Population Questions: A Methodological Guide.” American Journal of Public Health 112(5): 747-753. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306731
  • Clay-Warner, Jody, Timothy G. Edgemon, David Okech, and John Anarfi. 2021. “Violence Predicts Physical Health Consequences of Human Trafficking: Findings from a Longitudinal Study of Labor Exploitation in Ghana.” Social Science & Medicine, vol. 279.
  • Culatta, Elizabeth, Jody Clay-Warner, Kaitlin Boyle, and Assaf Oshri. 2020. “Sexual Revictimization: A Routine Activity Theory Perspective.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence 35:2800-2824
  • Edgemon, Tim and Jody Clay-Warner. 2019. “Inmate Mental Health and the Pains of Imprisonment.”  Society and Mental Health 9:33-55. (DOI: 10.1177/2156869318785424)
  • Tinkler, Justine, Jody Clay-Warner, and Malissa Alinor. 2018. "Communicating about Affirmative Consent: How the Threat of Punishment affects Policy Support and Gender Stereotypes." Journal of Interpersonal Violence 33:3344-3366.
  • Boyle, Kaitlyn M. and Jody Clay-Warner. 2018. “Shameful ‘Victims’ and Angry ‘Survivors’: Emotion, Mental Health, and Labeling Sexual Assault.” Violence and Victims 33:436-452
  • Clay-Warner, Jody, Dawn T. Robinson, Lynn Smith-Lovin, Kimberly B. Rogers, Katie R. James. 2016. Justice Standard Determines Emotional Response to Over-Reward.”  Social Psychology Quarterly 79:44-67.
  • Clay-Warner, Jody, Jackson Bunch, and Jennifer McMahon-Howard.  2016. “Differential Vulnerability: Disentangling the Effects of State Dependence and Population Heterogeneity on Repeat Victimization.” Criminal Justice and Behavior 43: 1406-1429.
Of Note:

Honors

  • 2021. SEC Academic Leadership Development Program
  • 2019. Distinguished Contribution to Teaching Award, Southern Sociological Society
  • 2017. Women’s Leadership Fellow, University of Georgia
  • 2017. Sociologist of the Year, Georgia Sociological Association
  • 2017. Owens Creative Research Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Georgia
  • 2014. Outstanding Graduate Student Mentoring Award, UGA Graduate School
  • 2013. American Society of Criminology Teacher of the Year Award
  • 2011. Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professorship
  • 2010. Distinguished Contribution to Sociological Perspectives Award, 2010 (with Jennifer McMahon-Howard and Linda Renzulli)
  • 2010. Outstanding Recent Contribution Award, ASA Sociology of Emotion section (with Dawn Robinson)
  • 2004. Richard B. Russell Undergraduate Teaching Award, University of Georgia
  • 2003. CURO Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award, University of Georgia
  • 2002. Special Sandy Beaver Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Georgia, College of Arts and Sciences

Elected Offices

  • 2022-2023. Chair-elect, Social Psychology Section, American Sociological Association
  • 2019-2020. Treasurer, International Society for Research on Emotion              
  • 2016 -2019. Secretary/Treasurer, Social Psychology Section, American Sociological Association
  • 2015-2020.  Executive Board, International Society for Research on Emotion
  • 2014- 2016. Council, Social Psychology Section, American Sociological Association
  • 2013-2014. Chair, Sociology of Emotions Section, American Sociological Association
  • 2011-2013. Council, Sociology of Emotions Section, American Sociological Association

External Funding

2019 - 2024. “Measuring the Prevalence of Trafficking around the World: Implications for Research, Programming, and Policy (co-PI), with David Okech (PI), and Alex Balch (co-PI, University of Liverpool), Lydia Aletraris (co-I), and Tamora Callands (co-I).  U.S. Department of State, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. $15,750,000.

2018-2023, “Anti-trafficking Research and Programming in West Africa.” (co-PI), with David Okech (PI), and Alex Balch (co-PI, University of Liverpool), Tamora Callands, (co-I) and Nate Hansen (co-I).  U.S. Department of State, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons SSJTIP18CA0015. $4,000,000.

2010 - 2012.  "Collaborative Research Examining Emotional Reactions to Favorable Violations of Standards of Justice" (PI), with Dawn T. Robinson (co-PI) and Lynn Smith-Lovin (co-PI).  National Science Foundation SES 0966536.  $160,596

2008 - 2011. "DHB Testing a Dynamic Theory of Social Emotion Using Infrared Imagery."  (co-PI), with Dawn T. Robinson (PI), Chi Thai, and Kevin McCully (co-PIs).  National Science Foundation BCS 0729396.  $717,375

2005 - 2008. "Collaborative Research Examining the Relationship between Identity, Injustice, and Emotion," (co-PI) with Dawn Robinson (PI) and Lynn Smith-Lovin. National Science Foundation #0519969.  $283,218.

Articles Featuring Jody Clay-Warner

The UGA Office of Research named Jody Clay-Warner the new director of the Owens Institute for Behavioral Research, effective Aug. 1.…