Department of Psychology, Sociology and Social Work Success Stories Sociology Online. Two recent graduates completed their entire sociology degree online. As a result of their new degrees one student has a new job in Florida. The second student moved from a local police department to the federal Border Patrol. Grant Award. West Texas Family and Community Services (WTFCS), a project of the Department of Psychology, Sociology and Social Work, received a $288,545 grant from the Permian Basin Area Foundation’s Texas Resources for Iraq-Afghanistan Deployment (TRIAD) Funds. The TRIAD funds serve the needs of American military personnel who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan and their families. WTFCS will serve as the lead agency in the West Texas TRIAD Consortium and will assess eligible clients and connect them with participating area agencies to meet their specific needs. The Amarillo-based agencies working with WTFCS in the TRIAD Consortium include United Way, Family Support Services, ACADA, The Hope and Healing Place and Goodwill Industries of Amarillo. Council Appointment. Dr. Timothy Atchison, associate professor of psychology, serves as a member of the Traumatic Brain Injury Council. The Council is an advisory group set up by the Texas Legislature to review policy and provide recommendations to the governor, legislature and other government entities to improve the care of those with traumatic brain injury and to reduce injuries. Atchison is serving a two-year term. Extended Partnership. Training family members to improve functional recovery of loved ones who suffer traumatic brain injuries is the focus of research being conducted by faculty and students in the Department of Psychology, Sociology and Social Work. Functional recovery looks at how well a patient resumes normal activities such as talking with friends, cleaning the house and working. Dr. Tim Atchison, associate professor of psychology, and his students collaborate in the region’s portion of a $4 million grant from the National Institute on Disabilities, Rehabilitation and Research. We’re Here to Help. Students from each program in the Department of Psychology, Sociology and Social Work participate in projects and activities at the West Texas Family and Community Service offices at the Tyler Street Resource Center in Amarillo. The students provide case management and counseling services to the homeless and underserved populations in Amarillo. Capital Murder Research. Dr. J. Keith Price, associate professor of sociology and criminal justice, and Dr. Robert E. Beckley, professor of sociology, recently completed their research of Texas capital murderers. The information was retrieved through a research agreement with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The study examined criminal acts of violence of capital murder offenders over a thirteen year span of incarceration. The research findings are published in Volume 3, Issue 1, 2009, of The Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice Education and Research. | 
