Gary Sandefur

BA, 1974, Sociology, University of Oklahoma
PhD, 1978, Sociology, Stanford

Gary says that as a discipline, Sociology provided him the opportunity to learn more about poverty, inequality, racial inequality, and family issues. The Department of Sociology at Wisconsin was a wonderful place to spend most of his career.

Gary Sandefur is Dean Emeritus, College of Letters and Science and Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was in the Department of Sociology at Wisconsin for thirty years. He also was on the faculty at the University of Oklahoma from 1978-1984. He finished his career as Provost at Oklahoma State University, where he served for seven years from 2014-2021. He has been a member of advisory committees for the National Academies, the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Gary continues to be active in retirement as a member of the Advisory Board for the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (DBASSE) at the National Academies and as a volunteer with the Chatham County United Way. Gary and his wife, Kathy, live in Fearrington Village, North Carolina, just south of Chapel Hill and within a half mile of their two grandchildren.