USCA’s Melencia Johnson to lead Mid-South Sociological Association

University of South Carolina Aiken Associate Professor of Sociology Melencia Johnson has been appointed president of the Mid-South Sociological Association (MSSA). She was installed during the organization’s annual meeting in Nashville on Oct. 18.

MSSA provides professional support to sociologists who teach, conduct research, and reside in the mid-south United States, offering publications, conferences, academic support, and collegial networks. Johnson has been involved with the organization since 2006 when she attended a meeting at the encouragement of her graduate school professor, the late Dr. Thomas Calhoun.

“Dr. Calhoun was president of MSSA and thought it would be a good fit for my research, which was a less mainstream topic,” she says. “As a smaller, more diverse, association, it provided greater opportunities for students to attend and present their research.”

Johnson presented her graduate research that year, which was focused on intimate partner violence at the hands of females, a topic not often explored by criminologists. She was impressed by the group’s congenial environment, where she could bond with others at her age and research level.

That first meeting had a lasting impact, evidenced by her years of service that followed. Johnson quickly became involved on committees and worked her way up through the officer positions. As president-elect, she was instrumental in planning the 2024 annual meeting. Two years ago, the council named its mentorship award after Johnson’s mentor, Dr. Calhoun. The Dr. Thomas C. Calhoun Excellence in Mentoring Award honors a member of MSSA who provides an exceptional level of support to the professional development and career advancement of their undergraduate and/or graduate students.

“It’s like coming full circle,” Johnson says. “Dr. Calhoun got me involved, but I chose to stay. It was meaningful to name our mentor award after the person who got me here.”

In recent years, Johnson has taken her students to the meeting, and their research papers are often selected for presentation. This past October, five USCA undergraduate sociology students—Ayondayla Abney, Trenton Appleford, Ashtin Barton, Emily Copley, and Chloe Powell—virtually presented their qualitative research with initial findings.

In the coming year, Johnson will have the opportunity to show off her home state at the 2025 annual meeting, scheduled for October in North Augusta. Throughout her term as president, she will remain dedicated to advancing MSSA’s mission to encourage diversity and welcome student involvement.

“Our work is vital,” she says. “There are a lot of associations out there, but MSSA is special because we embrace diversity. We continue to celebrate and promote diversity in our membership and among leadership.”

For more information, contact USCA Marketing & Communication at news@usca.edu.