Heather Shay

Heather Shay is an Associate Professor of Sociology at South Carolina State University, affiliated with the College of Education, Humanities & Social Sciences. She joined SCSU in August 2023 and previously held positions at Lake Superior State University, the University of South Carolina Beaufort, and Middle Tennessee State University.

• PhD in Sociology (2013), North Carolina State University
• MA in Sociology (2003), Florida Atlantic University
• BA in Psychology/Sociology (2000), University of Kentucky

Her research interests focus on social inequality, social psychology, and gaming, analyzing how social interactions shape experiences in gaming environments and marginalized communities. She investigates themes like identity formation, risk negotiation, and storytelling, often linking these to broader sociological frameworks.

Her publications explore intersections of sociology and gaming, including virtual edgework, risk dynamics, and dramaturgical approaches to dominance. Themes such as social interaction, leisure sciences, and symbolic interactionism recur in her work, reflecting interdisciplinary collaborations across universities.

While no scientific awards are explicitly mentioned in the provided text, her contributions to journals like Leisure Sciences and Symbolic Interaction highlight her engagement with contemporary sociological scholarship.