Diane Bates

Diane Bates is a Professor of Sociology and Program Director of Environmental Studies at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) within the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences. She has served at TCNJ since 2000, progressing from Assistant to Associate Professor (2003-2014) and achieving full Professorship in 2014.

Her academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. in Sociology, Rutgers University (2000)
• M.A. in Sociology, Rutgers University (1998)
• B.A. in Sociology, Humboldt State University (1992)

Dr. Bates' research spans Environmental Sociology, Urban Sociology, Rural Sociology, and Education Sociology, with emphases on environmental justice, urban sprawl in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, deforestation dynamics, population-environment interactions, and disaster sociology. Her work integrates community-engaged methodologies and interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly through the Collaboration Across Boundaries (CAB) initiative.

Analysis of her recent publications (2019-2023) reveals three dominant trajectories: (1) Interdisciplinary STEM-social science pedagogy focusing on computational thinking and community partnerships; (2) Longitudinal disaster studies examining Hurricane Sandy's societal impacts; and (3) Gender equity research in academic workplaces, particularly within STEM fields at primarily undergraduate institutions.

No scientific awards are documented in the provided materials.

As an educator, Dr. Bates teaches 15+ courses including Introduction to Sociology, Urban Sociology, and Environmental Studies, while directing the Environmental Studies program. Her $2.1+ million in external funding features three major National Science Foundation awards:

• Collaborating Across Boundaries to Engage Undergraduates in STEM Learning ($597,844, 2019-2020)
• Research Initiation: Professional Formation of Engineering Students ($149,986, 2014-2015)
• TCNJ ADVANCE Program ($688,132 x 2, 2009)

She co-leads the CAB initiative developing cross-disciplinary curriculum and the TCNJ ADVANCE Program addressing gender equity in STEM faculty development, both emphasizing community-engaged scholarship and institutional transformation.