Dr. Morgan Montañez is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for Social and Cultural Research (CSCR). Dr. Montañez’s research focuses on rural poverty—specifically on issues related to access to aid programs and healthcare. Dr. Montañez received her PhD from Washington State University where she also worked as a Project Manager at the Social and Economic Sciences Research Center. She is an active member of the Rural Sociological Society where she holds positions on several committees, and has conducted research in New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Virginia. Her current research includes a collaboration with Dr. Joanna Hunter and Virginia 211 looking at zip code level data from intake calls to determine what services were not able to be referred, but were needed, to map underserved areas in Virginia. Dr. Montañez, originally from rural Colorado, is deeply committed to raising awareness about issues facing rural America.
Dr. Montañez is also excited about the prospect of new partnerships in Virginia and welcomes community groups and other faculty to reach out to see how we at the CSCR can collaborate with you! See Dr. Montañez's research resume here.
Chapman Rackaway, Acting Chair of Sociology
Kristina Wagner is the lead research assistant for the CSCR for the 2025-2026 academic year. In their second year in the lab, Kristina brings a wealth of previous experience and leadership skills to the lab. Kristina is a Sociology major and Math minor who is passionate about social justice. Kristina is currently lead on the Virginia 211 project where she is working to formalize analysis procedures and simplify processes students use in cleaning data. Kristina also took a lead on the development of the Radford Housing Survey gaining experience not only in survey design, but also in Qualtrics. Kristina will be in the lab through 2027!