See What Alumnus Michael Wilkinson is doing post-graduation and the advice he has for current students!

  

Since graduating from the UMass Lowell Sociology program back in December, I have found a job working for the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development at Tufts University. At the Tufts CSDD I have been working with Microsoft Excel and S&P Capital IQ, to do research on operating pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. I have also assisted in writing several letters of solicitation to various companies and foundations, proposing projects that we might do in exchange for grant funding. However, the most interesting thing I have done has been to propose a long-term, multimillion dollar precision medicine research collaboration to senior members of the Tufts CSDD and Northeastern University.

I could never have landed this research job without support from the entire faculty of the Sociology Department. In particular Professor Charlotte Ryan and Jannette Marquez were instrumental in helping me during my time at UML and in completing and presenting my Honors Thesis.

My advice for current students would be to be sure and embrace all the resources you have at your disposal, especially the professors that teach your classes. Every member of the Sociology department is more than happy to help you with any trouble you may be having and even just to chat about mundane topics. They will greatly enjoy hearing what you have to say and you just might make a friend for life. Feel free to drop in and talk to Jannette at any time too, she gets lonely in her office. Also never underestimate the value of the critical thinking skills you are taught in the sociology classroom. While you might not be able to directly put this on your resume or brag about it on a list of your accomplishments, it is a skill that will help you for the remainder of your lives and shape the way you see the world. 

Sociology student Nicole Lynch hired as The Emerging Scholars Program Coordinator!

The Emerging Scholars Program happily brought on board Sociology student Nicole Lynch as the "Emerging Scholars Program Coordinator". The Emerging Scholars Program provides students with a unique year-long opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge gained from courses at UMASS Lowell to a faculty member's on-going research. Students who participate gain valuable research experience and build on their classroom learning. Nicole completed the rigorous Emerging Scholars Program during the 2013-2014 academic year. After noticing her hard work ethic, the Program interviewed Nicole and decided she would be the best fit as the Program Coordinator. 

As the Program Coordinator, Nicole acts as the liaison between the students, the Program, and the faculty members. She mainly communicates with the current emerging scholars to better help guide them throughout the program. "I coordinate monthly meetings with the Emerging Scholar's students to provide a place that we can touch base and come together as a group" said Nicole.

 A great way to get through such an academically rigorous program is by having a strong support system, and her monthly meetings help facilitate a supportive learning environment. "The students can talk freely about their concerns with honesty, and they can receive support and encouragement from myself and other students. All of the students really get to learn from one another and grow throughout the year." After each meeting, Nicole reports back to members of the Leadership Team of the Program. The meetings held by Nicole help give the students a voice, as well as feedback of ways to better improve the Emerging Scholars Program.

 She also plays an essential role in the development and growth of the program, in addition to recruiting new Scholars for next year. Nicole is part of the application and admission process for next years Emerging Scholars. 

 A background in Sociology has given Nicole the tools she needs to excel in her role as Program Coordinator, "I have been able to draw upon my people skills, as well as other valuable skills such as, reading people, empathy, and reading situations, all of which are drawn from my knowledge base in Sociology." 

 The Emerging Scholars Program is an invaluable opportunity for networking with professors, fostering relationships with professors, and developing solid research skills. The Program prepared Nicole for her decision to pursue graduate study after completing her undergraduate degree. She hopes to obtain a Master's Degree in Counseling. If any students are interested in the Emerging Scholars Program and would like more information contact Nicole Lynch at Nicole_Lynch2@student.uml.edu

Alumnus Allison Hajjar works as a Therapeutic Training and Support Mentor after graduation!

 

After graduating in 2013, I began working for The Key Program as a “Therapeutic Training and Support” and “Therapeutic Mentor”. The positions are part of the Massachusetts Children's Behavioral Health Initiative, which is an interagency initiative with the mission to “strengthen, expand and integrate Massachusetts state services into a comprehensive, community-based system of care, to ensure that families and their children with significant behavioral, emotional and mental health needs obtain the services necessary for success in home, school and community.” I generally work with youth (ages 5-21) and their caregivers to assist them in meeting their particular goals. Because every family has their own unique situation and goals, my work greatly varies from client to client. Typical parts of my job are, planning a community based activity for a client, assisting with an In-home Therapy session, assisting a family with coordinating with other service providers, and helping a client or parent navigate systems (school/IEP, DCF, DMH, etc.) My sociology degree provided me with a “big picture” view and very global perspective that has allowed me to be empathetic when working in direct care. Studying under the passionate professors in the UML Sociology Department also taught me to be investigative and innovative. These skills are vital to having an understanding of the population you are working with and being creative, but still effective in how you are improving the issues before you, no matter if they are on an individual level or systematic. My advice to current students: don’t be afraid to talk with professors and other community leaders. Networking helps you know what career options are out there and what employers are looking for.

Laura Carter starts career as a Behavior Therapist after graduating with a Sociology degree!

 

My name is Laura Carter. I graduated from the University of Massachusetts Lowell with a degree in Sociology in 2013. For the past two years, I have been working as a Behavior Therapist for Beacon ABA Services, Inc. I provide in-home early intervention services to young children who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I work extensively with these children and their families to help increase personal independence and adaptive skills within the home. During my time with this company, I have been promoted to a Lead Therapist. As a Lead Therapist, I am responsible for the development, implementation and daily oversight of programs for each of my clients.
My experience with the Umass Lowell Sociology Department was nothing short of amazing. The professors went above and beyond to help me succeed and were always there to offer me guidance when I needed it. My advisor helped me explore potential careers and gave me great advice on Graduate programs when I was considering applying. I appreciated the fact that I was able to form close relationships with my peers because of the close-knit sociology community. Also, I really valued the practicum experience I got through the sociology department. I was given the opportunity to work with a newly emerging non-profit organization that offers financial literacy services to low-income women. It opened my eyes to the non-profit world and inspired me to work in a direct service field. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the experiences I had with the sociology program.

Alumnus Kayla Walkling's thoughts on her experiences in the Sociology and landing a career she loves!

 

When I first started at UMass Lowell I had a vague interest in social studies and human services, but no clue of what type of work or which populations I would prefer to serve. I first became more familiar with Sociology by taking a few classes with Professor Adrian Cruz, who was always enthusiastic and interested in helping me define my passion. Later, Professor Mignon Duffy and Professor Charlotte Ryan (my advisor) directed me towards practicum opportunities with local organizations. I first volunteered with Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership and then interned with Budget Buddies. These experiences allowed me to try different aspects of social services including direct work with people, data analysis, and more. In my last year I was a research assistant through the Emerging Scholars program (which Professor Duffy is great at promoting!). The experiences previously mentioned prepared me well enough for that position, and the program itself turned out to be the most valuable opportunity I had as an undergraduate. It combined so many facets of Sociology, including things I had learned in the two research methods classes, in a real-life application. My year-long project with the Emerging Scholars Program was a qualitative investigation of youth perspectives on violence and community in Lowell. I helped facilitate focus groups with youth, produce creative projects, do hands-on data collection (transcribing, coding, thematic analysis), and and participate in professional research conferences. Although much of the work overlapped with psychology, it was mainly a full immersion into what research and direct work with people entails. I learned how committed I was to working with youth, as well as to analyzing issues and possible solutions for community issues. Since I've graduated, I've been working as a Peer Mentor for a community service agency in southeast Massachusetts. My position is funded through a Department of Mental Health grant that aims to improve services for transition-aged youth across the state. My work is an awesome blend of direct work with clients, community outreach, data collection, and research. I help support young adults with mental health challenges with advice on how to navigate mental health services, find local resources, and generally transition into young adulthood. Additionally, I get to collect data for DMH, collaborate with other organizations, and participate in statewide committees advocating for youth voice. I love my job and am still surprised at how it incorporates so many things I learned in school. I hope to eventually earn a Master's degree as I advance in the agency and learn even more about what I am passionate about. Beyond all the research, studying Sociology allowed me to have cultural competency and understand how individuals impact and are impacted by their communities.

Alumnus Alex DeFronzo hires recent UML Sociology graduates at NFI!

Whats the best way to give back to the department that helped shape you for your career?

Money?

Not exactly.  Alex DeFronzo represents the ultimate form of a community builder. Along with having a direct care giving role in his career, he helps recent UML sociology graduates find jobs at his place of work, NFI Massachusetts, Inc. Not only does he want to help recent graduates find their calling in terms of a human services career, but he also needs our Sociology graduates. He knows the type of work ethic and critical thinking the department produces and he views that as a real asset to his company.

The type of work Alex does can be quite challenging, but extremely helpful to local communities. NFI is a nonprofit that works with youth and families in the North Shore and in the Merrimack Valley. Alex manages a program that assists families in staying together and keeping their children at home and safe. A lot of the staff, including Alex, work directly with children and their caretakers. However challenging the work can get, Alex and all of his staff find the work rewarding and worth it. Sociology helps shape workers for the challenges that arise on the job, "having the ability to peel back the layers of an issue to discover its core, the point it originates, makes UML Sociology graduates a very big asset to us" said Alex.

Alex's advice to current students: I would advise undergraduate students to get some real work experience before beginning graduate school - the field of human services is a great place to do that because you are exposed to almost all public and nonprofit systems that exist in the commonwealth from healthcare to the courts.  It is a good way to discover what your passion in the workforce is, and can be helpful in pursuing your educational goals later.


If any Sociology majors are graduating this spring and are looking for work in a human services field, NFI might be a great place for you. NFI is a big agency - over 600 employees in Massachusetts and they are always hiring; Alex is always looking for UML Sociology graduates to work in the programs that he is familiar with.  Information is available on nfima.org and he welcomes any Sociology students or alums to email him with questions or with a resume and he will do his best to find an appropriate program and position for them to apply to - alexdefronzo@nafi.com.

Sociology Department’s Mara Tzizik and History Major Fabiane Kelley works along side History Professor Bob Forrant, to conduct research on the International Institute of Lowell.

Sociology sophomore Mara Tzizik and History senior Fabiane Kelley spent this past fall semester of 2014 sifting through thousands of documents within the International Institute of Lowell.  Both students received an Honors Fellowship funded by the Honors College and the Deans office to conduct research with history professor Bob Forrant. Forrant has immersed himself in Lowell’s immigration history with his former research projects with students, and continues to do so with this project with Mara and Fabiane. Along side Forrant, the students conducted primary source research and interviews to better understand the history of the Institute, which has helped immigrants assimilate into American Society in Lowell since 1914. They collected data from the Institute’s archives and collected data from interviews of people who have used their services or have worked for the institute in the past. The Institute has helped transform immigrant lives in Lowell. Mara believes this research is deeply rooted in Sociological themes. “The founding women of the Institute dating back to 1914 were the forefront of social work in their time” said Mara. These women identified one of the major social problems in Lowell, which was the growing immigrant population and their lack of support from the community, and tackled it head on. The organization has proven success over the past 100 years and continues to grow and adhere to the ever-changing immigrant populations of Lowell. 

On December 11, 2014 all of their hard work came to fruition. The research they conducted was used to create an interactive timeline for the Institute’s award dinner. The timeline was viewed by over 300 people that evening. Both students were present to answer any questions about their research and process by the viewers. Futuristically, they hope to publish a paper detailing their research and research process and potentially presenting the paper at a conference in April 2015. 

Forrant notes the advantages or working with research students on campus:  “One of the very best parts of teaching is working with great students on exciting research projects. Plowing in to the International Institute's records, discovering so much about Lowell's immigration history, and being able to work with Mara and Fabiane creating an exhibit viewed by hundreds of people made this a terrific experience for me and hopefully for them. It also represents the very essence of how a public university should function.”

The Honors Fellowship has given Mara a wealth of research experience only halfway through her academic career. Mara has earned immense credibility through her research efforts within the University, as well as within the Lowell Community. The project not only called for self growth and academic development, but it also provided the opportunity for students to give back to their local community. 

“If you have the opportunity to work on research of any kind, seize it. Your critical thinking skills, deductive reasoning, and time management skills will develop and grow.” - Mara