Rate My Professor Paul Dean

Paul Dean is Professor of Sociology and Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Ohio Wesleyan University, where he has served since 2012, advancing from Assistant Professor to full Professor in 2024. He holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Maryland (2012), an M.A. in Sociology from the University of Maryland (2007), a B.A. in Sociology from Binghamton University (2003, summa cum laude with honors), and an A.A.S. in Business Administration from Jamestown Community College (2000, high honors). Before joining OWU, he was a Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Maryland (2011-2012). In addition to his academic roles, Dean has been Department Chair since 2019, Interim Director of Faculty Development (2021-2022), and Coordinator of New Faculty Onboarding (2022-2024).

Dean's scholarship centers on class cultures, social mobility, and the experiences of first-generation and working-class students in higher education. His recent book, Class Cultures and Social Mobility: The Hidden Strengths of Working-Class First-Generation Graduates (Rutgers University Press, 2025), draws on interviews to illuminate the emotional and cultural challenges of upward mobility and the unique strengths these graduates bring. He has co-authored influential globalization texts with George Ritzer, including Globalization: A Basic Text (3rd ed., Wiley-Blackwell, 2022) and Globalization: The Essentials (2nd ed., 2019). Selected peer-reviewed articles include “Assessing Outcomes of an Antiracism Unit in a Required First-Year Seminar” (Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 2024, with Franchesca Nestor) and “Educational Travel for First-Generation Students” (Teaching Sociology, 2020, with Claudia Kelly). A co-creator of the award-winning The Sociological Cinema website, Dean has earned accolades such as the Sherwood Dodge Shankland Award for Encouragement of Teachers (2018), Presidential Award for Racial and Cultural Diversity (2017), and Bishop Francis Emner Kearns Faculty of the Year Award (2016). He delivers workshops nationwide to support first-generation students and faculty, enhancing institutional practices for equity and inclusion.