Heather Anderson joined the Sociology Department at College of the Canyons in 2020.  Her professional background includes over 15 years within social service and international relief where she has worked on behalf of agencies in 10 different nations, serving children and families in crisis.  Her work with humanitarian programs and her academic research have brought her to residential care facilities, prison cells, refugee camps, hospice programs, and intensive care units where she has assisted populations who are enduring significant loss or braving transition. 

Beyond being an alumna of College of the Canyon’s Future Instructors in Training Academy, Heather has a Master of Arts degree in International Service from Roehampton University in London, England, and is currently finishing her second Master of Arts degree in Sociology at California State University, Northridge.  An excerpt of her first thesis,"18 with AIDS: A study into the transitional services available for HIV-positive orphans aging out of residential care in Jamaica" was recently published by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 

Heather’s sociological interests include social problems, global studies, gender, death and dying, criminology, deviance, and social control.  Since 2017, she has also taught sociology courses at California Lutheran University, where she serves on the Faculty Senate and the Steering Committee for the Center for Equality & Justice.

When she is not teaching, Heather loves to surf, host open mic nights, and backpack.