Geoffrey L Wood, PhD

Dr. Geoff Wood is Chair, Behavioral Sciences Division, Associate Professor of Sociology, and Director of the Center for Applied Research (CFAR). He earned a Ph.D. in sociology from the University at Albany, State University of New York.

Dr. Wood teaches introduction to sociology, introduction to public policy, social problems, research methods, racial and ethnic relations, sociology of politics, social inequality, and organizational behavior. He serves as the faculty advisor for Pi Gamma Mu, the International Social Science Honor Society.

As the director for CFAR, he has worked on several research projects including community health needs assessments for Excela/Independence Health, evaluation projects for Private Industry Council, an evaluation of a STEM K-12 program for Aliquippa School District, and an evaluation of the reentry program for Westmoreland County Courts.

Dr. Wood frequently recruits student research assistants to work for CFAR so they may learn applied research skills, which can then be used in the pursuit of graduate studies, law school, or career training. These efforts at CFAR have led to the production and publication of applied research reports, in which students can gain authorship through writing experiences. Please contact him if you are interested in joining CFAR.

Dr. Wood has published peer-reviewed work including book chapters, journal articles, and edited volumes. His work in categorical inequality, critical demography, and social stratification genres of sociological research contributed to his receipt of the President’s Distinguished Professional Development Award in 2020. He has completed two edited volumes on how natural disasters and COVID-19 impact political dynamics and social inequality in the US. Dr. Wood is working with Lexington Books on a new book series, Contemporary Perspectives on Social Inequalities in the United States.

Dr. Wood serves on the Pitt Senate Governmental Relations Committee and the Pitt-Greensburg Faculty Planning and Budget Committee. He also serves as President (2023-2024) of the North Central Sociological Association, and on the Board of Directors, Emeritus of the Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra.