Brett Zollinger, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
Dr. Zollinger is Professor and Chair
of Sociology and Social
Work and past Director of the Docking
Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University.
He teaches Applied Sociology, Sociological Theory, Methods of Social
Research, and Survey and Field Research.
Dr. Zollinger's work has been nationally recognized.
He received the Rural Sociological Society's Dissertation Award
in 1997. He has published in several academic journals including,
Rural Sociology, Journal of the Community Development Society,
Research in Community Sociology, Economic Development Quarterly,
Complimentary Health Practice Review, and the Online Journal
of Rural Research and Policy. He also has a book chapter in
the edited book, Mad About Wildlife.
Dr. Zollinger has designed and conducted survey research projects
at local, state and regional levels on a wide variety of topics
including: public health/wellness awareness, attitudes and behaviors;
attitudes toward wildlife management approaches and recreational
hunting practices; labor availability; health care needs assessment;
housing and city services satisfaction, quality of life; crime
and domestic victims' issues; and use of conservation tree plantings.
He is very active in program evaluation studies, strategic planning
and community development efforts in the region. Most recently
he led the Docking Institute in facilitating the 2005 Kansas Prosperity
Summit planning process on behalf of the Kansas Department of
Commerce and five other partner state agencies. He has had over
$2.5 million of applied research and planning funded.
Dr. Zollinger's primary research interests are in
the areas of natural resource sociology, human dimensions of wildlife
management, community development, and public health/wellness
programming. Prior to joining the Docking Institute in 1998, Dr.
Zollinger earned his Ph.D. in Sociology from Utah
State University and worked in USU's Institute for Social
Science Research on Natural Resources
In his spare time he enjoys hunting, golfing, and
spending time with his family!