Ph.D., Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
M.S., Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
M.A., University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
B.A., Ohio University, Athens, OH
Katherine Copas, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Office
Old Main
Educational Background
Year Joined Franklin
2026
Expertise
Economic sociology, organizations, financial institutions, wealth inequality.
Is it easy to double-major in your area and something else?
Absolutely! A major in sociology teaches you to think critically, analyze problems, and propose solutions. These skills are transferable to other majors and career paths. Sociology meshes well with health sciences, sports management, data analytics, and everything in between!
How do you support students in learning challenging material?
I do my best to break down challenging content into more manageable portions. Then we walk through these topics by connecting them to historical context or real-world examples. I love working with students and finding relevant examples that help them make abstract concepts more tangible!
Selected Professional Accomplishments
Publications:
Copas, Katherine. 2026. “Land of the Free (Markets): US Banks’ Strategic Rhetoric in Response to the Financial Crisis.” Critical Sociology.
Carruthers, Bruce G., and Katherine Copas. 2026. “Financial Regulations.” In Elgar Encyclopedia of Economic Sociology, edited by D. Maman. Edward Elgar Publishing. Forthcoming.
Copas, Katherine and Teke Wiggin. 2025. “‘General interest’ group or ‘special interest group’? Understanding Nonworker Support for Unions.” Sociological Forum.
VanHeuvelen, Tom, and Katherine Copas. 2019. “The Geography of Polarization, 1950–2015.” The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences 5(4): 77–103.
Select Awards and Honors:
2024 Robert F. Winch Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor
2024 Comparative Historical Social Science Summer Archival Research Funding
2023 Robert F. Winch Award for Outstanding Teaching Assistant
2022 Robert F. Winch Award for Outstanding Teaching Assistant, Honorable Mention
2020 Comparative Historical Social Science Cluster Scholarship
2020 Sociology Quantitative Fellowship
2011-15 Ohio University Gateway Excellence Full Tuition Scholarship
Memberships:
American Sociological Association
Midwest Sociological Society
North Central Sociological Association
Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics
In my spare time...
In my spare time, I love being outside! You can find my cycling around Indiana, walking my dog, or pulling weeds in the garden.