Faculty Biography - Ronald Helms

Associate Professor
Sociology Department
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA 98225-9081
Arntzen Hall 526
Phone: (360) 650-7927
Fax: 360-650-7295
Ronald.Helms@wwu.edu

Ronald Helms earned a B.A. from California State University, Chico (1987); he then obtained M.S. (1994) and Ph D. (1997) degrees from the University of Oregon. Dr. Helms spent two years on faculty at Washington State University before joining the Sociology faculty at Western Washington University.

Dr. Helms’ research has focused primarily on the political sociology of punishment. In addition to research on felony sentencing decisions, Dr. Helms has published aggregate time series research on political and social determinants of various punishment/social control outcomes. In 2005-06 Helms’ research attention has focused on the effects of participatory institutions such as education, marriage, and the political process on patterns of homicide and other violence. Other recent quantitative research assessed gang influences on central city homicide rates. Two forthcoming studies addressed social and political determinants of county deputy employment rates and wage variation for local sheriffs. Helms’ research has recently incorporated emerging insights concerning the ways energy production and consumption patterns vary systematically with violence rates throughout the U.S.