Dr. Aurea K. Osgood

BA, Sociology, Winona State University, 2000.
MA, Sociology, Bowling Green State University, 2003
PhD, Family Sociology and Demography, Bowling Green State University, 2008

Aurea has been teaching at Winona State University since 2007. She teaches courses primarily in family sociology (Sociology of Families and Advanced Topics in Family Sociology) and social research methods (Intermediate Social Research). Aurea takes a demographic approach to understanding family trends in the United States, from the delay in marriage to the decrease in teen pregnancy. Aurea uses active learning to engage students in class to apply concepts to real life situations.

Aurea’s research interests include single-father families, poverty and welfare reform and family transitions. Aurea’s current research addresses the recent welfare reform, specifically the welfare-to-work policies, and the consequences for both mothers and children. Additionally, Aurea's work has been cited The Atlantic - Cities in a discussion about designing living areas for older adults. Aurea has recently been published in College Teaching (Bringing Students into a Discipline, 2012, PDF), Sociological Inquiry (Family Transitions and Juvenile Delinquency, 2010, PDF) and The Myth of the Missing Black Father (Public Assistance Receipt: A Comparison of Black and White Single-Father Families, 2009, PDF). Aurea has also published recently in pedagogy: "Building an Eldertopia" (published in ASA's TRAILS), "Getting Students Excited About Social Research" (published in ASA's TRAILS), and "Travel with Students: A Review of Existing Literature" (published in ASA's TRAILS).

Dr. Osgood's work with D2L Discussion Boards has been the focus of a feature for WSU's Faculty Exchange. Click this link to view her interview.

Dr. Osgood was recently cited in The Atlantic Cities' article "In Search of 'Eldertopia'". Click this link to view the article.

Aurea serves as the faculty advisor for the WSU Sociology Club and is also eager to work with students on their own research, class material or other sociological interests. Aurea also serves on the Board of Directors for Bluff Country Co-op and Winona Volunteer Services in Winona and volunteers with Winona Volunteer Services at the Supplemental Food Shelf.

In Spring 2013, Aurea is teaching:
     SOC 212: Sociology of Families
     SOC 378: Intermediate Social Research
     SOC 435: Advanced Topics in Family Sociology

During the 2013-2014 academic year, Aurea will be on sabbatical. Aurea will be studying food insecurity in the U.S. and in Winona. Check back for more information on her research blog.