University of Central Florida Sociology Department: Dr. James Wright Papers

Dr. James Wright is a writer, educator, and serves as the Provost's distinguished research professor in the University of Central Florida Department of Sociology, where he has taught undergraduate and graduate level courses. Dr. James Wright earned his doctoral degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1973 and taught at the University of Massachusetts, University of Amherst, and Tulane University before moving to the University of Central Florida in 2001. Throughout his career, Dr. Wright has published over 20 books and over 300 journal articles, book chapters, essays, and reviews.

The professor's research interests include issues such as homelessness, poverty, inequality, applied and evaluation methods, and survey methods. He has published books on issues about American politics, poverty, homelessness, guns, and NASCAR. Dr. Wright grew up in Missouri where he would watch his father race on a dirt track during the 1950s. He is a self-proclaimed NASCAR fan who took the opportunity of a sabbatical in 1999 in order to attend seven races of the Winston Cup. He based his book, Fixin to Git , on this experience. A wealth of information regarding Dr. Wright's NASCAR publication makes up a decent portion of this collection.

Dr. Wright has also been profoundly involved in community works in Central Florida. He has used his research projects in order to make a positive difference in various communities. His research on homelessness, poverty, substance abuse, and inequality have been used for public education, governmental advising, and the establishment and maintenance of public works efforts. Dr. Wright has served on the Board of Directors of the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida and the Board of Directors of the Orlando Area Trust for the Homeless (OATH). One of his more recent publications, Poor and Homeless in the Sunshine State: Down and Out in Theme Park Nation, addresses the issue of poverty in Central Florida in great detail.