Cameron T. Whitley, PhD
he/they, Associate Professor
Office
Location
AH 505
About
PhD Michigan State University, 2017
MA Michigan State University, 2011
BA University of Colorado at Boulder, 2005
Cameron T. Whitley is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. He received his Ph.D. in Sociology from Michigan State University with specializations in Environmental Science and Policy (ESPP), Gender, Justice and Environmental Change (GJEC) and Animal Studies. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of Colorado at Boulder. His primary research agenda explores how our relationships with others influence how we make decisions related to the environment and animals, with a particular focus on altruism and empathy. Secondarily, he uses this same focus to explore issues related to queer and transgender individuals. He has over 30 peer reviewed journal articles and 16 book chapters (accepted or published) and a co-edited book. With a commitment to collaboration, he has published with over 40 individuals across various fields including: sociology, political science, clinical chemistry, criminology, philosophy, sustainability, education, environmental studies, psychology, social work, engineering, journalism and medicine.
Among his many projects, he has explored the sustainability practices of college students, public support for plant-based diets, individual perceptions of environmental risk, the social drivers of climate-induced migration, support for new energy technologies (like hydraulic fracturing), the political influence of greenhouse gas emissions, the place of women in conservation networks, and the importance of imagery in promoting pro-environmentalism and animal conservation. To date, his work has appeared in journals such as the Annual Review of Sociology, Sociological Perspectives, Sociological Inquiry, Teaching Sociology, Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, Sex Roles, Sociology of Development, and Environment and Behavior among others and been featured by the LA Times, New York Times, Washington Post, and The Guardian among others. Most recently, he was featured by the BBC for his work on transgender individuals’ access to advanced medical care for transgender individuals.
He grew-up just outside of Boulder, Colorado. As a result, he loves being outdoors and spends the majority of his free time hiking, walking along the water or volunteering with environmental, animal and social justice organizations. He is an avid LEGO collector, NASA/space enthusiast, husband, father, non-binary transgender guy, LGBTQIA+ activist and oil painter.
Research Interests
- Environmental Sociology
- Sociological Animal Studies
- Science and Technology
- Queer/Trans Studies
- Social Psychology
- Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Current Courses
SOC 306 Sociology Research Methods
SOC 372 Animals, People and Nature
SOC 386 Environmental Sociology
SOC 350 Climate Change and Society
SOC 374 Environmental Inequality and Justice
Selected Publications
PUBLICATIONS FROM 2020 to PRESENT (*denotes student, **denotes community partner)
Whitley, Cameron T. and Batool Zaidi. (Forthcoming Fall 2022) “Designing and Teaching Statistics and Data Analysis Courses” in
The Handbook of Teaching and Learning in Sociology, edited by Sergio A. Cabrera and Stephen Sweet. NYC: NYU Press.
Whitley, Cameron T. (Forthcoming Fall 2022) “Teaching Environmental Sociology and Animal Studies” in The Handbook of
Teaching and Learning in Sociology, edited by Sergio A. Cabrera and Stephen Sweet. NYC: NYU Press.
Whitley, Cameron T., et al. 2022. "I’ve Been Misgendered So Many Times: Comparing the Experiences of Chronic Misgendering
among Transgender Graduate Students in the Social and Natural Sciences." Sociological Inquiry
Whitley, Cameron T. “Organ Transplants for Transgender and Non-binary People” (Forthcoming Spring 2022) in Trans Bodies
Trans Selves: A Resource for the Transgender Community, Second Edition. Oxford University Press.
Kalof, Linda and Cameron T. Whitley 2021. “Animals in Environmental Sociology” in International
Handbook of Environmental Sociology. Washington DC: Springer.
Whitley, Cameron T., Seven Mattes. (Forthcoming Fall 2021) “Emerging with Oddkin:
Interdisciplinarity in the Animal Turn” Animals & Society 28(3).
Whitley, Cameron T., Angela Wismar*, Alexander Iffland*. (Forthcoming Fall 2021) Promoting Community and Building Confidence
Among LGBTQIA+ College Students Through Playfulness and Story Sharing. Journal of Women and Gender in Higher Education.
Whitley, Cameron T. and Seven Mattes “Entangled Impacts: Human-Animal Relationships and Energy Development” 2021. in
Energy Impacts: A Multidisciplinary Exploration of North American Energy Development, edited by Jeffrey Jacquet,
Julia Haggerty and Gene Theodori. Louisville CO: University of Colorado Press.
Arnold-Renicker, Heather, Kyle Inselman*, Jennifer Rivera, and Cameron T. Whitley. 2021 in “Trans and Non-binary
Leadership and Civic Engagement” in Social Work and Health Care Practice with Transgender and Nonbinary
Individuals and Communities. New York, NY: Routledge Press.
Whitley, Cameron T., Linda Kalof and Tim Flach**. 2020. “Using Animal Portraiture to Activate Emotional Response”
Environment & Behavior, Advanced Online First Publication.
- Winner, 2021 Distinguished Article Award, American Sociological Association Animals and Society Section.
Whitley, Cameron T., and Linda Kalof. 2020. “Women Behind the Shutter: Exploring the Place of Women in Elite
Environmental Conservation Photographer Networks” Sociological Inquiry 90(1):147-171.
Dietz, Thomas, Cameron T. Whitley and Rachael Shwom. 2020. “Climate Change and Society.” Annual Review of
Sociology 46(1): 135-58.
*Vrla, Stephen, Cameron T. Whitley and Linda Kalof. 2020. “Inside the Yellow Rectangle:
An Analysis of Nonhuman Animal Representations on National Geographic Kids Magazine Covers”
Anthrozoos 33(4): 497-509.
Greene, Dina N., Geolani W. Dy, Nathan Osburn, Cameron T. Whitley. 2020. “Replying to “Kidney Transplantation
and Donation in the Transgender Population: A Single Institution Case Series”” American Journal of Transplantation.
Advanced Online Publication.
- Featured in BBC.
Bowers, Melanie and Cameron T. Whitley. 2020. “What Drives Support for Transgender Rights? Assessing the
Effects of Biological Attribution on US Public Opinion” Sex Roles 83: 399-411.
Bowers, Melanie and Cameron T. Whitley. 2020. “Assessing Voter Registration Among Transgender and Gender
Non-Conforming Individuals.” Political Behavior. 42: 143-164.