By Brent Lyday
Commerce – Dr. Yvonne Villanueva-Russell, Texas A&M University-Commerce department head and associate professor of sociology and criminal justice, was named the Layperson of the Year by Sherman College of Chiropractic on May 28 in Spartanburg, S.C., as part of the college's homecoming program. Villanueva-Russell was recognized due to her research, contributions and commitment to the profession.
"It is an honor to know that my research has been read outside of my own discipline and that it has relevance and application for alternative medical practitioners," Villanueva-Russell said.
Her research has focused on the professionalization of alternative medicine, the politics of science, the media, and professional identity. She has authored multiple publications including "Chiropractors as Folk Devils: Published and Unpublished Coverage of a Moral Panic," "An Ideal-Typical Development of Chiropractic, 1895-1961: Pursing Professional Ends Through Entrepreneurial Means," "Early Advertising and Practice Building in Chiropractic: 1920-1950," "Evidence-Based Medicine and its Implications for the Profession of Chiropractic," and "The AMA versus Chiropractic: Themes of Opposition From 1963 to 1974."
"I initially became interested in this profession when my husband chose to become a chiropractor rather than a dentist," Villanueva-Russell said. "I did not know much about chiropractic or alternative medicine, so I started to study the history of this area and it eventually grew to become the basis of my dissertation and a large part of my research agenda ever since. Chiropractic is the ultimate underdog story, which makes for some very interesting research."
Sherman College's Layperson of the Year award is given to non-chiropractors who have contributed to the advancement of Sherman College and the chiropractic profession in a noteworthy manner.