Jade Aguilar

“I am so excited to be joining the Willamette Department of Sociology this coming fall. Until I get there, I have a busy few months ahead of me, finishing my PhD program at the University of Colorado in Boulder, moving to Oregon, and hopefully squeezing in some time to travel-I have my sights set on China! My current research has been to study Egalitarian Intentional Communities (modern day communes) which has seen quite a resurgence over the past 15 years. I am fascinated by these types of groups, particularly why people join and how they work together to ensure equality between all their members, both economically and socially.

Oregon is a ‘”hotspot” for these kind of communal living groups, and I feel so lucky to be moving here. In addition to getting acquainted with the communes in Oregon, I am also eager to get back to teaching. I was so impressed with the students I met at Willamette when I came to visit and cannot wait to share my work with them and find out what their interests are. I know there will be some amazing collaborative work ahead.

When I am not studying communes or teaching, I keep busy with my hobbies-running, hiking, snowboarding and traveling. I absolutely love to travel and have spent time all over the world. Right now, though, I am excited to explore the Pacific Northwest and all the amazing places right around Salem. See you in the fall!