Sociology Department Members

Permanent Staff

Prof. Srila Roy
Professor & Head of Department
Email: Srila.Roy[at]wits.ac.za
Research Interests: Gender, Sexuality, Feminism, Development, Social Movements, Decolonising, Global South

Prof. Shireen Ally
Associate Professor & Coordinator: Postgraduate Programme (PhD)
Email: Shireen.Ally[at]wits.ac.za

Dr Christine Bischoff
Senior Lecturer & Coordinator: Global Labour University (GLU)
Email: Christine.Bischoff[at]wits.ac.za

Prof. Samuel Kariuki
Associate Professor
Email: Samuel.Kariuki[at]wits.ac.za

Dr Obvious Katsaura
Senior Lecturer & Coordinator: Development Studies (DVS)
Email: Obvious.Katsaura[at]wits.ac.za
Research Interests: Transnational urbanism, Transnational religiosity, Religious urbanism, Urban politics, Urban violence

Dr Christiana Kallon Kelly
Lecturer
Email: christiana.kallonkelly[at]wits.ac.za

Prof. Bridget Kenny
Professor
Email: Bridget.Kenny[at]wits.ac.za

Dr Kezia Lewins
Senior Lecturer
Email: Kezia.Lewins[at]wits.ac.za

Dr Johannes Machinya
Lecturer
Email: Johannes.Machinya[at]wits.ac.za
Research Interests: Science and Technology Studies, sociology of technology, sociology of medicine, digital platforms, health technology and mobile health, human rights, digital surveillance, data privacy and security.

Dr Josh Platzky Miller
Lecturer
Email: josh.platzkymiller[at]wits.ac.za
Research Interests: social movements, South Africa, Brazil, sociology of education, social reproduction theory, history of philosophy

Dr Tatenda Mukwedeya
Lecturer
Email: Tatenda.Mukwedeya[at]wits.ac.za

Dr Mbuso Nkosi
Lecturer
Email: Mbuso.Nkosi[at]wits.ac.za

Dr Jonathan Schoots
Lecturer
Email: jonathan.schoots[at]wits.ac.za

Prof. Ben Scully
Associate Professor & Coordinator: Postgraduate Programme (Honours/Masters)
Email: Ben.Scully[at]wits.ac.za

Dr Thabang Sefalafala
Lecturer
Email: thabang.sefalafala1[at]wits.ac.za
Research Interests: unemployment, labour, the meaning of work

Prof. Michelle Williams
Professor
Email: michelle.williams[at]wits.ac.za 

Research Associates

Mr Andrew Bennie
Email: andrew.bennie[at]wits.ac.za

Associate Professor Ran Greenstein
Email: Ran.Greenstein[at]wits.ac.za

Doctor Leonie Hoffmann
Email: leonie.hoffmann[at]wits.ac.za

Professor Agata Lisiak
Email: agata.lisiak[at]wits.ac.za

Doctor Rommy Morales-Olivares
Email: rommy.morales-olivares[at]wits.ac.za

Associate Professor Sarah Mosoetsa
Email: Sarah.Mosoetsa[at]wits.ac.za

Associate Professor Devan Pillay
Email: Devan.Pillay[at]wits.ac.za

Postdoctoral Fellows

If you are interested in applying to do postdoctoral work in the Wits Sociology department, please contact the department.

Current postdoctoral fellows:

Doctor Shamiso Madzivire
Email: shamiso.madzivire[at]wits.ac.za

Emeritus Professors

Professor Emeritus Jacklyn Cock
Research Interests: Environment, Gender, Violence, Political Economy
Email: Jacklyn.Cock[at]wits.ac.za

Professor David Dickinson
Research Interests: Labour, Health, HIV/AIDS, Law
Email: David.Dickinson[at]wits.ac.za

Professor Emeritus Leah Gilbert
Research Interests: Health, Gender
Email: Leah.Gilbert[at]wits.ac.za

Professor Emeritus Roger Southall
Research Interests: Political Economy, Politics
Email: Roger.Southall[at]wits.ac.za

In Memoriam

Professor Michael Burawoy (1947-2025)