Sebahattin Ziyanak is an assistant professor of sociology in the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. His research has been published in European Review of Applied Sociology, International Journal of Innovation and Research in Educational Sciences, and The Qualitative Report, and he has contributed books, book chapters and articles to a variety of publications. Outside of academia, he serves as the president of the Peace Academy of West Texas and a board member for Odessa Links, an organization that provides a continuum of care services to homeless individuals.