The Department welcomes two new tenure-track faculty members. Jenny Huberman (Ph.D., University of Chicago) is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology and is teaching Qualitative Research Methods (Graduate), Cultural Anthropology and The Social Life of Things. Sookhee Oh (Ph.D., The New School) is an Assistant Professor of Sociology, and is teaching Research Methods (Undergraduate) and Immigration and the City. Additionally, Mary Stewart (Ph.D., University of Nevada-Reno) is the Martha J. Starr Distinguished Professor of Gender and Women's Studies, and Kristin Bechtel (M.S., UMKC) was appointed Visiting Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice & Criminology, and is teaching Introduction to CJC, Juvenile Justice, and Principles of Corrections.

Faculty member Shannon Jackson recently participated in projects supported by grants awarded from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Graham Foundation. The NEH grant funded a design charrette in March 2007 focused on linking the Crossroads and the Jazz District in Kansas City. The Graham Foundation provided funds for and a website (www.acityatthecrossroads.com) based on the design ideas generated by the students who participated in the charrette.