Amanda McGowan
Health and Society
Education
Ph.D., Sociology, Expected May 2025
M.A., Sociology, Baylor University, 2022
M.S.W., Master of Social Work, Baylor University, 2014
B.A., Sociology, Baylor University, 2012
Biography
Amanda McGowan (Mandy) is currently a 4th year PhD candidate in Sociology of Health at Baylor University.
Mandy worked as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) prior to beginning her graduate study in Sociology at Baylor University. She earned her BA in Sociology from Baylor University in 2012, and then completed a two year Master in Social Work degree in 2014. She has spent six years working in a variety of health and mental health settings, including community clinics, hospitals, and inpatient and outpatient mental health. Mandy’s Social Work career focused primarily on work with Veterans, as she worked at the US Department of Veteran’s Affairs.
Mandy was familiar with Baylor University’s Sociology Department as she studied at Baylor in this department as an undergraduate student. She was drawn to the collaborative nature of the department amongst both students and faculty, and also enjoyed the fact that the department focuses on both becoming an excellent teacher and competent researcher. Amanda’s primary goal upon graduation from Baylor is to become a University Professor in Sociology and to become an active researcher and contributor to the field of Sociology of Health and Mental Health.
As a fourth year graduate student, Mandy plans to continue doing research and focusing her dissertation in the area of health and mental health care, particularly focusing on outcomes for Veteran populations. She is also interested in the intersection of gender and class in healthcare.
Recent Publications
F. Carson Mencken, Daniel Allen, Jesse DeDeyne, Amanda McGowan, and Kyra Neill. 2024. “Religiosity and Fear of Crime Victimization” Sociological Focus DOI: 10.1080/00380237.2024.2330467
Laura Upenieks, Rebecca Bonhag, and Amanda McGowan. 2023. “Religious Doubt and Depression in Later Life: Gender Differences in the Buffering Role of a Supportive Pastoral Relationship" International Psychogeriatrics. DOI: 10.1017/S1041610222000448