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University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL
407-823-2000

Copyright 2005-2008.  This site was last updated 05/02/2008.  This page is maintained by Faculty Relations, a division of Academic Affairs.

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 Faculty Spotlight ~ Dr. Brent K. Marshall

in memoriam

-published on Faculty Relations website November 2005-

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Dr. Brent Marshall joined UCF’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology as an assistant professor over five years ago.  His master’s thesis was on the risk perceptions of people living in an industrially polluted area referred to as "Cancer Alley," a stretch of the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. Also, this area is known as the "frontline" of the environmental justice movement. After obtaining an M.A. degree in political science from the University of New Orleans, Dr. Marshall expanded his interest in environmental issues by pursuing and earning a Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Tennessee. His dissertation examines the efforts of the Tennessee Valley Authority to adopt a watershed management approach to managing public lands and waters.

Dr. Marshall currently teaches undergraduate courses on environmental sociology, social stratification, and sociology of the global system. With a new Ph.D. program in sociology, he will be teaching graduate courses on environmental sociology, natural resource management, and environmental justice. He is able to incorporate in his teaching real-world research experience related to the long-term effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on communities in Alaska, environmental justice cases in south Florida, and watershed management issues in central Florida. Dr. Marshall communicates his deep knowledge and interest in his subjects with a quiet ardor for his work. This dedication to his field is reflected in his prolific research on different environmental sociology issues, and numerous presentations on these topics. He is excited about sociology’s new Ph.D. program and is looking forward to mentoring and collaborating with these students.

As a former resident of and frequent visitor to New Orleans, Dr. Marshall was affected strongly by the effects of the hurricanes this summer. Because of his activity in the field of disaster research and his personal connection to the area, he was selected by the American Sociological Association (the largest academic association in his field) to be a part of their Gulf Coast Disaster Research Team. As the most junior member, he considers it an honor to have been chosen and looks forward to working with the ASA on these long-term recovery projects. The group has already met to discuss the long-term consequences of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the coastal communities along the Gulf of  Mexico.
Please click to see a presentation with pictures that Dr. Marshall took with his team on a tour of Biloxi, Gulfport, and New Orleans to witness the devastation firsthand.

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Dr. Marshall died April 27, 2008 from complications resulting from a motorcycle crash.