Dr. Roger D. Clark

Roger Clark is Professor Emeritus of Sociology, having joined the faculty at Rhode Island College in 1981. He received his B.A. from Swarthmore College and his M.A. and Ph. D. from Brown University. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Fiji Islands, which is a pretty tough assignment, especially if beautiful beaches and sunsets, friendly people and luxuriant tropical fruit make you nervous.

Professor Clark teaches courses in research methods and gender these days, but has enjoyed teaching many other courses at the College. He's been awarded the Paul Maixner Distinguished Teaching Award, which delighted him almost as much as the teaching it was based on. Professor Clark also gets pleasure from the research papers he's co-authored with students, 38 publications in all to date, with 47 different students (some multiple times). These papers have been mainly in the area of gender studies (two of which have been recognized for outstanding interest by the Chronicle of Higher Education), though a few have dug into topics outside that area. Some of the student co-authors have gone on to do graduate work at places like Harvard, Tulane, Boston University, the University of Arizona, and Rhode Island College.

Professor Clark has published 41 other research papers, many with faculty colleagues at the College, and about the same number of book reviews. The 5th edition of his An Invitation to Social Research: How It's Done (with co-author Emily Stier Adler) is in circulation. Earlier editions of the book had been adopted by about 200 colleges and universities worldwide. His most recent textbook, Gender Inequality in Our Changing World: A Comparative Approach, was co-authored with Lori Kenschaft and Desirée Ciambrone.

Professor Clark has been ranked by the USTA in its New England 60- and 65-and-older divisions, shot four holes in one on genuine golf courses, and run multiple half and full marathons. Like the Energizer Bunny, he keeps on going and going, but, given his age, leaves it to your imagination where.​