What Do Our Graduates Say About
Their
Experiences in Our Program?
 "The research methods and data analysis training in the sociology program at NC State is particularly exceptional. With solid preparation in these areas, students are well-equipped to investigate a full range of topics that are of interest to them. Equally as important, the program provides students with valuable teaching experiences and prepares students well for future faculty positions. Sociology students also benefit from the multitude of general resources provided by the university. Plus, living in the Research Triangle area is wonderful."
Jeremiah B. Wills
Ph.D. from NC State in 2007
Currently Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology, Roanoke College
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"The NCSU graduate program is structured such that students can develop their own sociological voice and style while engaged in rigorous theoretical, methodological, and substantive sociological training. The methodological training, in particular, is exceptional. The program focuses on graduate training in the true sense of the word - actively preparing students to become professional sociologists through research experience and pedagogical instruction. Another hallmark of the program is the strong faculty-to-student and peer mentoring that both formally and informally occurs. I have no question that my experiences as a graduate student at NCSU prepared me to make a smooth transition into my faculty position."
Shannon N. Davis
Ph.D. from NC State in 2004
Dissertation title: "Is Justice Contextual? A Cross-National Analysis of Perceptions of Fairness of the Division of Household Labor"
Currently Assistant Professor of Sociology, George Mason University
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"I attained both my master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology at NC State. I can honestly say I am glad I chose this program. The resources at NC State -- the library system, technical support and software availability, and connections with other top universities in the area -- have provided me with the skills and contacts necessary to succeed in my new professional life. I found the sociology faculty to be approachable and friendly, and I am blessed to call them my colleagues now. I also call many of them my good friends. At the same time, they are true leaders in their fields. They possess the substantive knowledge and relationships with other sociologists needed to keep NCSU competitive in the national arena.
"I found the department very friendly to graduate students. The faculty members value the contributions we make to undergraduate teaching and to research, and they offer opportunities to participate in major research projects, give presentations, and collaborate on publications. The graduate students have also created a very tight-knit and supportive culture for themselves. The sociology graduate student association is a very active part of the university graduate student association, and students routinely schedule meetings to discuss collaborative projects, plan community service activities, and address issues of relevance for graduate student life and program progress."
Jennifer G. Nooney, (407) 823-0983
Ph.D. from NC State in 2006
Currently Associate Director for Research, Florida Center for Nursing
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| "Great training in academia, with a hunk of praxis thrown in. Flexible to the interests of students."
Vincent Roscigno, (614) 292-1618
PhD from NC State in 1996
Dissertation on "Race, Place, and the Reproduction of Educational Disadvantage: The Black-White Gap and Local Structures of Opportunity"
Currently Professor of Sociology, Ohio State University and Co-Editor, American Sociological Review
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| "The Ph.D. program at NCSU is excellent! The program prepared me well for my current teaching position."
Cheryl Banachowski-Fuller, (608) 342-1652
PhD from NC State in 1997
Dissertation on "Peer Influences, Parental Bonds, School Bonds, and Perceptions of Peer Pressure to Commit Delinquent Behavior"
Currently Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, University of Wisconsin--Platteville
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"I experienced the faculty in the Sociology Department at NCSU to be very acessible and supportive while in the program AND have benefitted from their continual mentorship after graduation."
Beth Davison
PhD from NC State in 1995
Dissertation on "An Ecological Analysis of Crime in a Mid-Sized Southern City: Tests of Routine Activity and Social Disorganization Approaches"
Currently Assistant Professor of Sociology, Appalachian State University
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"My experience enabled me to get my counseling license so that I could offer through the Presbyterian Church a counseling service/ministry of professional quality. Also I thoroughly enjoyed being on the State campus. I was a big supporter of NC State before attending graduate school but have become an even
bigger one since then."
Dottie Dubose-Blum, (919) 851-6781
PhD from NC State in 1989
Dissertation on "The Impact of Reciprocity on Affective Solidarity"
Currently Director of Presbyterian Personal and Family Counseling Center and Visiting Lecturer at NCSU
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| "The bonds formed between members of my cohort while in the program [were special]."
Karen Eller M.S. from NC State in 1997
Thesis on "African-American Violent Crime in the Urban Environment: The Effects of Family Structure and Income Inequality"
Currently Social Research Associate II at NC State University's Center for Urban Affairs
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| "Flexibility in scheduling that allowed me to work and commute. Helpfulness of Dr. Maxine Atkinson in completing my dissertation."
Martha Keehner Engelke PhD from NC State in 1991
Dissertation on "Maternal Competence in Mothers of
High Risk Infants"
Currently at East Carolina University School of Nursing
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| "Good people made for a good learning atmosphere."
Bill Danaher, (843) 953-4995 PhD from NC State in 1994
Dissertation on "The Effects of Work and Welfare on Migration of the Poor in the U.S."
Currently Assistant Professor of Sociology, College of Charleston
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"It was an astonishing learning experience for me. Fellow students were outstanding and faculty, without exception, supportive. The graduate program was, for
me, a critically important and valuable experience.
Simply outstanding."
Sandra Harding, 61-7-38642519 (international)
PhD from NC State in 1994
Dissertation on "Guild Industrial Organisation: Work, Organisation and Community Well-Being"
Currently Professor and Dean, Faculty of Business, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
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| "The opportunity to research and collaborate with professors rather than merely being students in a class."
Mary Kathryn Jarrett
M.S. from NC State in 1994
Thesis on "Secular and Religious Influences on Attitudes Toward Biotechnology"
Currently Special Education Teacher, Peoria Unified School District, Peoria, AZ
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"I enjoyed the two-part course on research methods. The class participated in the whole research process. Drs. Czaja and Greenstein secured a grant from the NCHS and we performed all aspects of questionnaire design, interviewing and analysis. It was a real hands on experience that has helped me greatly. Additionally, the courses that requried the use of SAS software gave me an advantage in getting my first position."
Christopher Kania, (404) 627-0745
M.Soc. from NC State in 1994
Currently SAS Programmer, Worldwide Clinical Trials
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| "I really had a wonderful and memorable time when I was a graduate student at NCSU. The department provided a friendly and pleasant environment for me. As an international student, I felt welcomed and treated well! I especially value the close friendships we developed among our fellow graduate students. I am also very grateful to my committee members for their friendship, encouragement, and professional and intellectual insights which helped me a great deal in finishing my study. In addition, the education and training I had at NCSU, as a graduate student, research and teaching assistant, have become a major asset for me in developing my career both as a scholar and university administrator in my country (Indonesia). Last but not least, I love Raleigh. It's really a great place to live."
Yasonna H. Laoly, (62-61) 522922 (international)
PhD from NC State in 1994
Dissertation on "The Effects of Economic Conditions on Violent and Property Offending Rates"
Currently Dean of Faculty of Law and Director of International Affairs Office, Nommensen University, Medan, Indonesia
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| "Theory (especially) and methodology courses were first rate. I profited more from them than from any substantive courses. Were there a theory concentration at the doctoral level, I'd have stayed on for the PhD. Della Fave's mind is as tidy as Durkheim's, and Schwalbe is as passionate as any grad student could hope for. No experience with Woodrum, but NCSU doesn't hire slacker theorists."
Joshua Mann, (919) 556-6745
M.Soc. from NC State in 1994
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| "My professors never gave up on me. I would camp-out at
my professors' office doors for questions. They would respond to me without an appointment. They were concerned with the quality of my education. (They done learned me real good!) My primary goal was to improve my knowledge in the areas of research and statistics, but I found that I use my knowledge of sociological theory, particularly Theory Construction, daily. Glad that I had good advisors."
Steve Marson, (910) 521-6778, click here for homepage
PhD from NC State in 1991
Dissertation on "The Utility of a Marxian Framework for the Sociology of Aging"
Currently Professor and Director of Social Work, University of North Carolina-Pembroke
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| "Advisors, Ron Wimberley, was very good. He was competent as a sociologist and especially good at research. He went out of his way to make time for me, to help me, to provide direction and moral support. I consider our interaction to have been among the most stimulating and enjoyable experiences of my life."
Tom Overton, (219) 251-1308
PhD from NC State in 1997
Dissertation on "Factors that Influence Farmers' Environmental Practices"
Currently faculty member, Indiana University-South Bend
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| "The years I spent at NCSU were very positive and I continue to have a strong working relationship, as well as fondness, for persons there."
Karen F. Parker, (352) 392-1025, click here for homepage
PhD from NC State in 1996
Dissertation on "The Effects of Structural Conditions on Racially Disaggregated Homicide Rates"
Currently Assistant Professor of Sociology in the Center for Studies in Criminology and Law and the Department of Sociology, University of Florida
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| "Superb research methods and analysis training. Faculty genuinely care about their grad students. Vibrant teaching with a focus on inequality theories and scholarship. Outstanding mentoring in teaching, research and professionalism, even after graduation. Supportive student cohorts and long lasting friendships."
Jammie Price
PhD from NCSU in 1996
Dissertation on "Navigating Differences: Friendships between Gay and Straight Men"
Currently Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina-Wilmington
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| "When I look back on my NCSU sociology program, I have positive memories! I received excellent quantitative training, learned extensively about the "applied side" of sociology, and enjoyed collegial relationships with many faculty and fellow students."
Larry Solomon, (202) 512-3227
PhD from NC State in 1990
Dissertation on "Manufactured Housing and the Elderly: Residential Satisfaction, the Sense of Community, Social Integration, and Psychological Adjustment"
Currently Senior Health Policy Analyst, U.S. General Accounting Office, Washington, DC
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| "The level of collegiality among graduate students and faculty in the sociology program is unparalleled. Students are treated as junior colleagues and as such are nurtured in their professional development. Students are strongly encouraged to begin presenting papers at professional conferences, and financial support is readily available. As a graduate, I am continually impressed to find the students of our program "over-represented" at the meetings I attend. This reaffirms the quality of our program and allows me to feel "at home."
Robert J. Hironimus-Wendt, (217) 425-4662
PhD from NC State in 1997
Dissertation on "Queuing for Unemployment: Gender and Ethnic Inequalities Associated with the Duration of Worker Displacement"
Currently Assistant Professor, Dept. of Behavioral Sciences, Millikin University, Decatur, IL
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| "I appreciated how the faculty and staff made themselves available to us when we had questions or needed help. It created a "family-like" atmosphere that personalized the experience for me. I felt like the faculty and staff were genuinely supportive of my academic success. They were "down-to-earth," friendly and approachable."
Paige Thompson Cutchin, click here for homepage
M.Soc. from NC State in 1994
Currently Division Chair, Public Services, Halifax Community College, NC
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| "I remember the great discussions and parties we had in the basement, with the pictures of Marx, Weber and Durkheim overhead to give us inspiration. I have an image of [Jeff Leiter] reading AJS in his office, and thinking how wonderful academic life was! (Now, I know better; I barely have time to read anymore.) I also have an image of Ginnie [Aldige] and her dog coming up the hall, and wanting to hide! Probably the image of the graduate office, and the great deal of mutual support we had, as well as great relations with faculty such as Jeff [Leiter], Rick [Della Fave], Matt [Zingraff], and Gary [Hill]."
Teresa Scheid
PhD from NC State in 1986
Dissertation on "Ritual Conformity and Loose Coupling in the Organization of Outpatient Commitment"
Currently Associate Professor, University of North Carolina-Charlotte
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| "My time in the Department of Sociology was both academically challenging and personally rewarding. In my time at NCSU, I was pushed to grow and learn as a professional member of the discipline, yet I also developed and treasure the relationships of peer friendships and a highly supportive faculty. In research and teaching, I enjoyed quality hands-on experiences. My dissertation chair was an encouraging director of my work. Faculty, staff and fellow students all made a profound influence. It was a time that changed my life and for which I will always remain grateful."
Steve Jolly
PhD from NC State in 1999
Dissertation on "Family Structure and Adolescent Self-Efficacy"
Currently Associate Pastor, Greenwood Forest Baptist Church, Cary, NC
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| "The best thing about NCSU's graduate program is that I left there feeling like I had developed the tools needed to be successful in my academic career. I learned how to be a critical sociological thinker, and I honed my professional writing skills. I also developed a strong network of ties with other sociologists within and outside of NC State's hallways by attending Southern Sociological Society and North Carolina Sociological Association meetings on a regular basis and getting involved. Graduate school certainly has its ups and downs, but the support systems provided by fellow graduate students, staff, and faculty at NCSU can help carry one through to a successful end."
Angela Lewellyn Jones
PhD from NC State in 1999
Dissertation on "Gender and Wife Abuse: The Effects of Gender Ideology and 'Doing Gender'"
Currently Assistant Professor, Elon College, Elon College, NC
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| "I found the PhD program in Sociology to be extremely flexible and student-focused. Faculty were willing to accomodate student academic needs within the existing curriculum framework. Faculty were accessible and helpful in all respects. "
Glyn Young
PhD from NC State in 1999
Dissertation on "Environmental Impacts on Community Child Protection Teams: An Organizational Analysis of a Child Abuse Response System in North Carolina"
Currently Administrator, Clinical Information & Support Office, University Health Systems, Eastern Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina
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| "My most memorable experiences in the Sociology graduate program at NC State include the open-door policies of most, if not all, of the faculty, the close working relationships that developed between myself and some of the faculty, and the strength of the program overall. When I first came to NC State, I needed to improve my research methods skills. I didn't know how to do that on my own, but because of the open-door policies of most of the faculty, including one professor in particular who was more than happy to work with me one on one, I was able to succeed in that endeavor. Without her help, I would have found it much more difficult to succeed in the program. As a result, she became a surrogate mother to me throughout the years that I spent at State. There also seems to be an open-door policy with regard to working on research projects for presentations at professional meetings and for publication. I have had the honor to develop close working relationships with at least three other faculty members; each resulted in presentations at professional meetings. I began working with two colleagues on another project while I was working on my dissertation and we hope to publish it in the near future. Finally, NC State seems to have a very strong program by virtue of the high rate of job placement of its graduates."
Elizabeth L. Strugatz
PhD from NC State in 2001
Dissertation on ""Gender, Self-Esteem, and Delinquency: Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to Test and Extend Agnew's General Strain Theory"
Currently Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Mt. Olive College, Mt. Olive, NC
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| "I consider my graduate education from NC State to be a valuable asset. Although my goal has always been to pursue a career in academia, the excellent training I received has prepared me for a a wide range of employment opportunities. I am very appreciative of the support and encouragement from my faculty mentors and cherish the special friendships with fellow graduate students. My experiences have taught me the true meaning of the phrase "if you can dream it, you can become it."
Sheryl Skaggs, (972) 883-4657
PhD from NC State in 2001
Dissertation on "Discrimination Litigation: Implications for Women and Minorities in Retail Supermarket Management"
Currently Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Texas at Dallas
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| "My tenure at NC State was one of the most important periods in my life. I feel that I have been adequately prepared for my academic career in rural sociology. The faculty and resources at NC State are second to none!."
Benny G. Gray, Jr., (336) 334-7072
PhD from NC State in 2000
Dissertation on "Understanding the Relationship between Rural Health and Income"
Currently Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Education, Economics, and Rural Sociology, North Carolina A&T University, Greensboro, NC.
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| "My time at NCSU throughout both my undergraduate and graduate career fitted me with a powerful repertoire allowing me to critically and effectively approach the discipline of sociology, and navigate my place within it. The faculty offered guidance and support without being dictatorial and fellow students shared a passion for the discipline as well as providing that ever so necessary outlet of real, sustained friendship."
Jeffrey Roberts
M.S. from NC State in 2001
Thesis on "Situated Webers: Three Generations of Neo-Weberian Work on Class, Status, and Party"
Currently doctoral student in sociology at University of Kent at Cantebury, United Kingdom
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