Meet the Team
Sol Underwood, PhD
Dr. Sol Underwood is a sociologist, qualitative researcher, and university educator with over 15 years of experience working at the intersection of action-oriented research, education, and community-building.
Through sociological training, Dr. Underwood brings a deep understanding of how institutions, social structures, and cultural patterns shape people’s experiences and opportunities. Dr. Underwood specializes in identifying complex social dynamics, evaluating challenges facing organizations and communities, and designing evidence-based approaches that address barriers, strengthen capacity, and support meaningful change.
Dr. Underwood’s research and teaching expertise includes families, gender and sexuality, social inequality, and community-based research, bringing extensive experience designing research projects, translating knowledge for diverse audiences, developing educational resources, and supporting organizations in using evidence to inform practice.
As a successful past recipient of SSHRC research funding, Dr. Underwood has demonstrated ability to design competitive grant proposals, secure research funding, and steward the responsible use of funds to produce published, peer-reviewed scientific research.
Outside of professional work, Dr. Underwood is guided by a commitment to family life, community belonging, collective well-being, and cultivating a deeper understanding of the relationship between human communities and the natural world.
Lance Stewart, PhD
Dr. Lance Stewart is a sociologist, qualitative and quantitative researcher, and lecturer at the University of Toronto. Dr. Stewart’s research specializes in the impact of digital technologies on market valuation, consumer preferences, and cultural experiences.
Dr. Stewart is an experienced teacher specializing in large-scale undergraduate teaching, research methods, and the sociology of culture. He has taught foundational Introduction to Sociology courses in both in-person and online formats, including classes enrolling up to 850 students and supported by teams of as many as 11 teaching assistants. Through these experiences, he has developed expertise in creating engaging, accessible, and inclusive learning environments for diverse student populations.
Dr. Stewart’s teaching spans core areas of sociological inquiry, including the logic of social research, introduction to research methods, and statistics. He is particularly committed to helping students develop the analytical skills needed to evaluate evidence, design research projects, and understand how sociologists investigate social life. His methods courses emphasize the connections between theoretical questions, empirical evidence, and practical research design.
In addition to his work in sociological theory and methodology, Dr. Stewart teaches in the sociology of culture, with particular expertise in culture and technology, cultural processes, and the relationship between culture and cognition. His teaching explores how meanings, ideas, technologies, and social environments shape human thought and behaviour, helping students connect abstract sociological concepts to contemporary social issues.
Our Expertise
By combining sociological insight with methodological expertise, we help organizations transform questions into evidence, and evidence into action. Our collaborative expertise includes:
Qualitative research methods
Quantitative research methods
Mixed-methods research design
Program evaluation
Educational development
Knowledge translation
Social inequality research
Community-based research
Research communication
Public speaking