Alexis Pfarrer

Alexis Pfarrer is a second year doctoral student and graduate teaching assistant in American Studies. Having initially studied at Utah Tech (formerly Dixie State), she earned a B.A. in History with minors in sociology and criminal Justice from Oakland University, Rochester, MI. She also holds an M.A. in History from OU and served as the department's graduate assistant for two years. Her graduate thesis examined the role of violence during the foundational years of the Church of Jesus Christ exposing the critical ingredients of hatred and the types of threats that motivate mob action. Her research interests include nineteenth-century U.S. religion, society, and culture, violence, drugs, criminal justice, wrongful convictions, and juvenile delinquency. Her doctoral research on the divisions that shape America culture include ideological power struggles and how themes of religious ethics, deviance, and violence manifest in society.  She is currently the VP-Social Media for the Oakland Township Historical Society in Michigan and is working on digitizing the archive collection. In her spare time, she likes to bake bread and cook pasta. She also enjoys researching genealogy, Jeeping, and exploring historical sites. Alexis has lived in Shanghai, Ohio, Michigan, and Utah and has travelled extensively.