Meet Our Faculty
Dedicated Educators Inspiring Future Leaders
Sociology faculty at COCC are well known for their enthusiastic approach, personalized advising, and welcoming classrooms. These professionals share their extensive knowledge and practical insights with their students, helping them to make connections between ideas and the wider world. COCC Sociology faculty proudly work hard to ensure their students’ successes in their chosen fields of study.
Advising Faculty Profiles
Tom Barry
Professor of Sociology
Email: tbarry@cocc.edu
With his background as a clinical social worker, Tom uses his experience in the field to illuminate concepts in the classroom.
"I worked with individuals addressing addiction and persistent mental illness, along with those working through the challenges of reintegration after incarceration," he explains. "This work reinforced to me the importance of empathy and understanding rather than division and disregard." He encourages his students to use that lens as they explore topics ranging from experiences in everyday life to larger social systems and institutions.
Tom earned a master's degree in communication studies from California State University, Fullerton, a master's in social work from the University of Kansas, and a Ph.D. in sociology from Kansas State University.
He teaches a wide variety of classes including Introduction to Sociology, Sociology of Deviance, Sociology of Race, Class, and Gender, Sociology of Popular Culture, and Sociology of the Environment.
Beyond the classroom, Tom's passion for cultural exploration has led him to travel extensively across the United States and abroad. "I really enjoy learning about social histories, practices and different ways of life," he says. "I hope I can pass on to students the excitement of exploring new perspectives."