Michael J. Lorr is a Professor of Sociology and Director of the Community Leadership
Program at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI. Dr. Lorr took his Ph.D. in Urban Studies
from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and earned his M.A. and B.A. degrees in Sociology
from DePaul University in Chicago. He specializes in urban, environmental and cultural
sociology. Dr. Lorr has two defined research programs: the first on the subcultures
of punk rock and skateboarding and the second on urban sustainability and "greening."
His work on subcultures has recently appeared in Skateboarding: Subculture, Sites, and Shifts edited by Kara-Jane Lombard and published by Routledge, Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, Humanity and Society, and Journal of Youth and Adolescence.
His work on urban sustainability has recently appeared in Beers, Ciders & Spirits: Craft Beverages and Tourism in the U.S. edited by Carol Kline, Susan Slocum, Christina Cavaliere published by
Palgrave Macmillan, The Greening of Everyday Life: Challenging Practices, Imagining Possibilities edited by John Meyer and Jens Kersten published by Oxford University Press, Neoliberal Chicago edited by Larry Bennett, Roberta Garner, and Euan Hague published by University of
Illinois Press, and Nature & Culture.
Dr. Lorr regularly teaches Introduction to Sociology, Community Sociology, Media &
Society, Sustainable Cities and Environmental Justice, Exploring Community Leadership,
Sociological Practicum in Community Leadership, and Community Leadership Capstone
Seminar. In service to the community, the Department of Sociology Engaged Department
Initiative, and the Community Leadership Program, Dr. Lorr is a member of the IDEAL
advisory board for the West Michigan Environmental Action Council, a member of and
representative for the United Nations/Grand Rapids Regional Center of Expertise on
Education for Sustainable Development, and a member of Arbor Circle's Ambassador Circle.
Dr. Lorr is an alumnus of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and enjoys
mountaineering and other outdoor pursuits in his spare time.
