Research in the social, behavioral and economic sciences (SBE) builds fundamental knowledge of human behavior, interactions, and social and economic systems, as well as organizations and institutions. Systematic studies of these networks and their behaviors can provide rewarding careers in the academic world, government, and industry.

Science Careers, through the support of the National Science Foundation, offers coverage of opportunities in this field, with a focus on the career paths and decisions made by real practitioners. Through the experiences of the scientists profiled in this series, students, graduates, and even those working in other fields can evaluate the potential of SBE for their own careers and life goals.

Jarita Holbrook: Guiding Star

A. Sasso, 1 June 2007

Jarita Holbrook moved from Caltech astrophysics to studying the anthropology of astronomy by indigenous Africans.

Responding to Violence in Schools

P. Shulman, 4 May 2007

Aaron Kupchik, assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware, studies school violence and discipline. His conclusion: The cure is often worse than the disease.

A Question of Balance

A. Sasso, 23 March 2007

Joan Brenner Coltrain built a rewarding career for herself applying stable-isotope analysis to anthropology problems. And she did it on her own terms.

Priming the Mind

P. Shulman, 2 March 2007

Yale graduate student Lawrence Williams wants to understand how factors we aren't aware of influence our thoughts and decisions.

A Model Archaeologist

P. Shulman, 22 December 2006

Former fashion model Amanda Adams helps places tell their stories.

Saving Languages, Sustaining Communities

A. Sasso, 24 November 2006

University of New Mexico Linguistics professor Melissa Axelrod partners with Native American communities to rescue and revitalize languages on the brink of extinction.

Dissecting Dialects

R. Arnette, 15 September 2006

Jennifer Bloomquist, an assistant professor in the Department of Africana Studies at Gettysburg College, studies linguistic variation among residents of the Appalachian Mountains.

Policy Issues and Emotions

C. Choi, 8 September 2006

Charles Taber, an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Stony Brook University in New York, talks about his career and his research on race and human behavior.

Special Feature: Careers in the Decision, Risk, and Management Sciences

R. Arnette, 30 June 2006

How--and why--do we make the decisions we make? Science Careers examines the work and opportunities in an emerging interdisciplinary field.

Decision Analysis Meets Environmental Policy

S. A. Webb, 30 June 2006

Environmental decisions often involve a baffling mix of cost, benefit, and uncertainty.

Funding for Decision Science Research: Negotiating the Maze

A. Kotok, 30 June 2006

Decision-science funding is divided into programs for basic decision-making research and programs that focus on a wide variety of applications.

Baby Talk and Monkey Talk

V. Chase, 2 June 2006

Jessica Maye, a linguist at Northwestern University, wants to know why babies are so much better at acquiring language than monkeys--or even human adults.

Group Diversity: Mock Juries Reveal Surprising Effects of Diversity on Groups

A. Sasso, 5 May 2006

A study conducted by Samuel R. Sommers indicates that juries including a mix of ethnicities perform better than all-white juries.

Neural Prosthetics

Victor Chase, 28 April 2006

Christa Wheeler found the perfect field to meld her interests in medicine and body mechanics.

RISE: Training Minorities in Environmental Science

Edna Francisco, 17 March 2006

The NSF-funded RISE program at Arkansas State University encourages underrepresented minorities to enter careers in environmental science.

Making the Most Out of Life

Irene S. Levine, 17 March 2006

Christina Fong, a decision scientist at Carnegie Mellon University, deftly balances her roles as public economist, teacher, and spouse.

Minority Admissions: Countering Cultural Blocks

Anne Sasso, 10 March 2006

A recent study suggests that many minority or disadvantaged students have misconceptions about college and the application process.

Finding Answers to Society's Ills

Robin Arnette, 17 February 2006

Monique Clinton-Sherrod, a social psychologist at RTI International, studies domestic violence and substance abuse and trains counselors on effective strategies.

Piecing Together the Past

Robin Arnette, 9 December 2005

Anthropologist Rachel Watkins pieces together what life was like for a group of people living in a particular time and place.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Grant No. SES-0549096. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.