Adina Nack, Ph.D.
Professor of Sociology, Gender and Women's Studies
A professor of sociology, Dr. Adina Nack is the Director of CLU’s Center for Equality & Justice and the Chair of the Sociology Department. In the past, she has served as the Director of CLU's Gender & Women's Studies Program, and she continues to teach for that program. Nack received her Ph.D. from the University of Colorado, Boulder and joined CLU in 2003, after having been faculty at the University of Maine.
She is a medical sociologist whose research has focused on sexual health, social psychology, social inequality, gender, and sexuality. An award-winning teacher, she has also won national research awards, published articles on the stigma of sexually transmitted diseases, and authored a book on women living with genital herpes and HPV infections published by Temple University Press in 2008. She is currently collaborating with on two research projects: (1) an in-depth interview study of physically traumatic childbirth experiences from the perspectives of the women, their significant others, and health care providers [Co-PI from CMQCC, Stanford Medical School]; and (2) analysis of in-depth interview data with women who have had abortions with a focus on theorizing their individual-level stigma experiences [Co-PI from ANSIRH, University of California - San Francisco].
A proponent of community-based action research, Nack was a Co-Principal Investigator for Ventura County’s two recent studies of Latinos/as receiving HIV/AIDS services (funded by the California State Office of AIDS). The first study inspired the 2006 countywide HIV & Latinos: A Leadership Summit which led to the creation of the Latino HIV Taskforce. In addition to her work with VCPH, she has also served as a research consultant for the ELCA Sexuality Studies Taskforce, Western Institute of Hearing, United Women's Leadership Council, and AIDS Desk (Chennai, India).
A member of the HIV/AIDS Coalition of Ventura County since 2003, Nack chairs the county's World AIDS Day Committee.
Research, Teaching, and Community Service Awards:
2009 Writers Workshop for Feminist Scholars – Scholarship granted by Ms. Magazine
2009 Best of Ventura County Award for "Best Person to Talk to About Sex" – Granted by the VC Reporter and its readers
2009 Diversity Professor of the Year Award – Granted by California Lutheran University Student Body
2008 Ventura County Community Member of the Year Award – Granted by Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo Counties
2006 Mark Vartanian AIDS Advocacy Award – Granted by Ventura County Rainbow Alliance
2004 Professor of the Year Award – Granted by California Lutheran University Student Body
2001 Herbert Blumer Award – Granted by the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction
1994 Phi Beta Kappa – inducted at the University of California, Irvine
Education
Ph.D. in Sociology, University of Colorado, Boulder
B.A. in Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine: Magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
Expertise
Medical Sociology
Sexuality
Deviance
Gender
Social Psychology
Popular Culture
Ethnographic Methods
Email: nack@callutheran.edu
Phone: (805) 493-3438
Office: Swenson Center, Room 230
Website: http://www.adinanack.com
