CRIMINOLOGY

• Developmental and life-course criminology, health criminology, juvenile delinquency, violent crime, criminological theories

MENTAL HEALTH

• Mental health and crime, structural strain and stress process models, negative affective states, adverse childhood experiences, PTSD and trauma, coping

MILITARY AND VETERANS

• Military service as a life transition, veterans’ health and behavioral problems, veterans’ social integration  

QUANTITATIVE METHODS

• Longitudinal data analysis, multilevel modeling, fixed-effects modeling, structural equation modeling, categorical data analysis

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Hello and thank you for visiting my page! 

I received my B.S. degree in Systems Engineering from the Turkish Military Academy and my M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Sociology from Louisiana State University. I joined the Department of Sociology & Anthropology at MTSU in August 2020.

I'm a criminologist whose research broadly addresses crime, deviance, and mental health, with a particular focus on where these substantive fields intersect in a developmental context. I'm particularly interested in how life events, life transitions, and turning points that take place during different developmental stages over the life course (e.g., childhood, adolescence, and adulthood) separately and interdependently influence mental health and involvement in criminal and deviant activities. In my recent studies, I investigated both the negative and protective impacts of military service on short- and long-term patterns of mental health, crime, and deviance. In my studies, I use both cross-sectional and longitudinal data and various statistical models (e.g., Growth Curve, Multilevel, SEM, Negative Binomial, Logistic Regression, etc.) to reveal short- and long-term patterns and relationships. My work has been published in journals from various fields including criminology, sociology, the military, social epidemiology, and health. I teach courses on crime and deviance, social statistics and data analysis, and general sociological topics at the undergraduate and graduate levels.  

More about me: I grew up in Ankara, Turkey and most of my family still lives there. Alongside my research and teaching, I love watching and playing soccer, playing musical instruments, hiking, camping, and cats.  

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Orak, U., Soileau, C., Harter, J., Dobson, C., & Huey Dye, M. 2024. Juvenile Violent Victimization and Adult Criminal Outcomes: The Role of Military Service as a Turning Point in Young Adulthood. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Online First. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605231211923 

Orak, U., Kelton, K., Vaugh, M. G., Tsai, J., & Pietrzak, R. H. 2023. Homelessness and Contact with the Criminal Legal System among U.S. Combat Veterans: An Exploration of Potential Mediating Factors. Criminal Justice and Behavior https://doi.org/10.1177/00938548221140352  

Orak, Ugur and Ozgur Solakoglu. 2023. "Strain and Deviant Reactions in Compulsory Military Service: An Investigation of Mediating Mechanisms." Crime & Delinquency. Online First. doi:10.1177/0011128721999337 

Orak, U., Yildiz, M., Aydogdu, R., Koenig, H., Pietrzak, R. 2023. The relationship between combat exposure and suicide risk in U.S. military veterans: Exploring the role of posttraumatic stress symptoms and religious coping. Journal of Affective Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.08.115

Hamilton, B., Orak, U. & Wallace, B. 2023. Internet Use as A Moderator of the Relationship between Age and Depression: Implications for Older Adults. Journal of Applied Gerontology. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648221142930   

Orak, Ugur, Alper Kayaalp, Mark H Walker, and Kevin Breault. 2022. "Resilience and Depression in Military Service: Evidence From the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health)." Military Medicine. Online First. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usab364

Yıldız, M., Orak, U. & Aydoğdu, R. 2022. Enduring Effects of Early Life Traumas on Adult Suicidal Ideation. Journ Child & Adolescent Trauma. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-022-00482-1

Orak, Ugur and Mark H. Walker. 2021. "Military Service: A Pathway to Conformity or a School for Deviance?" Crime & Delinquency 67(6-7):1046-1069. doi:10.1177/0011128719850497

Aydogdu, Ramazan, Muhammed Yildiz, and Ugur Orak. 2021. "Religion and wellbeing: devotion, happiness and life satisfaction in Turkey." Mental Health, Religion & Culture, Online First. DOI: 10.1080/13674676.2021.1969353

Aydiner, Cihan, Ugur Orak, and Ozgur Solakoglu. 2020. "What Factors Influenced Turkish Military Officers’ and NCOs’ Motivation to Serve Prior to the July 2016 Coup Attempt?" Armed Forces & Society 46(4):635-656. doi:10.1177/0095327X19841663

Orak, Ugur, Muhammed Yildiz, Ozgur Solakoglu, Ramazan Aydogdu, and Cihan Aydiner. 2020. "The Utility of Social Learning Theory in Explaining Cigarette Use in a Military Setting." Substance Use & Misuse 55:5, 787-795. DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2019.1702701

Yıldız, Muhammed, Ugur Orak, Mark H. Walker, and Ozgur Solakoglu. 2019. "Suicide contagion, gender, and suicide attempts among adolescents." Death Studies 43(6):365-371. doi:10.1080/07481187.2018.1478914

Orak, Ugur and Kasim Dogan. 2018. “What Comes After ISIS: A Sociological Analysis of Radicalisation into Violent Extremism.” Horizon Insights 2018(1):23-38. https://www.behorizon.org/what-comes-after-isis/

Orak, Ugur and Ozgur Solakoglu. 2017. "Alcohol Consumption Among Turkish Adolescents: An Empirical Test of General Strain Theory." Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse 26:4, 293-302. DOI: 10.1080/1067828X.2017.1305931

Orak, Ugur and Ozgur Solakoglu. 2016. "A Comparative Analysis of Attitudes Toward Immigrants." International journal of criminology and sociology 5: 143-153.

Solakoglu, Ozgur and Ugur Orak. 2016. "School truancy among Turkish high school students: A test of General Strain Theory." Journal of Human Sciences 13(1): 1460–1472.

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ACADEMIC CONFERENCES

Orak, U. and Fowler, C. “Work-Related Stressors and Criminal Behavior.” Presented at the Southern Sociological Society 2024 Annual Meeting in April 2024 in New Orleans, LA.

Orak, U., Soileau, C., Harter, J., Dobson, C., & Huey Dye, M. "Juvenile Violent Victimization and Adult Criminal Outcomes: The Role of Military Service." Presented at the American Society of Criminology 2023 Annual Meeting in November 2023 in Philadelphia, PA. 

Orak, U. "Moral Injury and Criminal JusticeInvolvement among Veterans," Presented at the Southern Sociological Society 2023 Annual Meeting, The Sheraton, Myrtle Beach, SC, United States of America.

Orak, Ugur, Katherine Kelton, and Michael Vaughn. "Homelessness and Contact with Criminal Legal System among Combat Veterans." Presented at the American Society of Criminology 2022 Annual Meeting in November 2022 in Atlanta, GA.  

Orak, Ugur. "Combat experience, negative affect, religiosity, and suicidality: A conditional process analysis." Presented at Mid South Sociological Association 2022 Annual Meeting in October 2022 in Nashville, TN.  

Orak, Ugur. "Military Service Status, Combat Experience, and Suicidal Trajectories: Moderating Effects of Sex, Race, and Socioeconomic Status." Presented at Southern Sociological Society 2022 Annual Meeting in April 2022 in Birmingham, AL. 

Orak, Ugur. "Trauma Exposure, Religiosity, and Suicide Ideation among Veterans." Presented at the Eastern Sociological Society 2022 Annual Meeting in March 2022. Virtual. 

Orak, Ugur, Southern Sociological Society 2021 Annual Meeting, "Strain and deviant reactions in compulsory military service: An investigation of mediating mechanisms," Virtual.

Orak, Ugur, Suheyl Gurbuz, Muhammed Yildiz, and Emirhan Demirhan. “Drug-Using Behaviors of Turkish Armed Forces Soldiers: A Social Control Perspective.” Presented at the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting in August 2019 in New York, NY.

Orak, Ugur. “The Effect of Military Service on Trajectories of Psychological Distress.” Presented at the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting in August 2019 in New
York, NY.

Orak, Ugur. “Deviant Behaviors and Their Determinants in a Conscription Military System.” Presented at the Eastern Sociological Society Annual Meeting in March 2019 in Boston, MA.

Orak, Ugur. “A Longitudinal Analysis of Differential Mental Health Outcomes of the Military Service.” Presented at the Southern Sociological Society Annual Meeting in April 2018 in New Orleans, LA.

Orak, Ugur and Muhammed Yildiz. “Stress Process Model of Suicidal Behaviors: Findings from National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health).” Presented at the Southern Sociological Society Annual Meeting in April 2018 in New Orleans, LA.

Orak, Ugur and Cihan Aydiner. “Organizational Predictors of Work Engagement among Turkish Military Officers.” Presented at the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society Annual Meeting in November 2017 in Reston, VA.

Orak, Ugur and Cihan Aydiner. “Motivation to Serve in Turkish Armed Forces.” Presented at the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society Annual Meeting in November 2017 in Reston, VA.

Orak, Ugur. “An Analysis of Natives’ Attitudes toward Immigrants.” Presented at the Southern Sociological Society Annual Meeting in April 2017 in Greenville, SC.

Orak, Ugur. “A Criminological Assessment of Tobacco Use among Turkish Cadets.” Presented at the Eastern Sociological Society Annual Meeting in February 2017 in
Philadelphia, PA.

Orak, Ugur, Ozgur Solakoglu. “Alcohol Consumption among Turkish Adolescents: A Test of General Strain Theory.” Presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting in November 2016 in New Orleans, LA.

Orak, Ugur. “A Panel Data Analysis: Examining Trends in the Gender Gap in Fear of Crime, 1994-2012.” Presented at the Southern Sociological Society Annual Meeting in April 2016 in Atlanta, GA.

Orak, Ugur. “Modeling Deviance in a Military Context: Deviant Soldiers Approach.” Presented at the Eastern Sociological Society Annual Meeting in March 2016 in Boston, MA.

INVITED TALKS

“The Relationship between Poverty and Crime.” Panel Speaker at Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency Poverty Symposium, Carbone Auditorium, Utica, NY, January 28, 2019.

“The Decline of A Modern Democracy: Turkey, Turkish Politics, and the U.S.-Turkey Relations,” Presented at Pizza and Politics, Utica College, October 10, 2018.

“Military Responses to Syrian Refugees Crisis: Social, Demographic, and Security Implications.” Presented at NATO Strategic Military Partners Conference in January 2016 in Izmir, TURKEY.

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Death Penalty Information Center

• https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/a-veterans-day-review-uneven-progress-understanding-the-role-of-military-service-in-capital-crimes

USA Today

• https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2023/11/10/jail-incarceration-criminal-justice-fail-struggling-veterans/71426586007/

Daily Memphian

• https://dailymemphian.com/section/metro/article/34624/memphis-juvenile-crime-mscs-truancy-chronic-absenteeism

PsychCentral

• https://psychcentral.com/health/social-learning-theory 

Observer-Dispatch

• https://www.uticaod.com/story/news/education/2019/01/29/symposium-explores-cycle-poverty/6172820007/

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