Derrick Shapley is an assistant professor of Sociology at the University of Montevallo. Formerly, he was Department Chair of Sociology at Talladega College. His academic interests include rural sociology, rural stratification, rural health, Social Media, and Political Sociology. He has been published in Sociological Imagination, The Department Chair, Contexts, and many other academic journals. He received his Master’s and Ph.D. from Mississippi State University and Bachelor’s Degree from Auburn University. Born and raised in Alabama he is a devoted fan of Auburn Football and a former political organizer.