Beth Easterling is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociology. Her research concerns the sociology of punishment and interpersonal relationships. Beth is an active researcher who has already published six articles in peer-reviewed journals, including a forthcoming article titled “Understanding the Unique Effects of Parental Incarceration on Child Well-Being: Challenges and Recommendations,” with Dr. Elizabeth I. Johnson, in the prestigious Journal of Marriage and Family. Her dissertation “Locked Up and Feeling Down: A Qualitative Study of the Prison Experience for Incarcerated Mothers,” under the supervision of Lois Presser, bridges the areas of punishment and interpersonal relationships. The dissertation explores the ways in which female prisoners understand and negotiate parenting under conditions of incarceration. In Spring 2011 she was honored with the annual Graduate Award for Excellence in Research by UT’s Department of Sociology.