Meet Professor Llewellyn!

Professor Llewellyn offers to students a fresh new look at two areas of study which are common to most in the Sociology Department. Her research lies at the intersection between gender and migration. Her PhD dissertation, "Deciding What Counts as Persecution: An Analysis of Gender and Sexual Orientation Asylum Cases in the United States," addresses disparities in immigration policies which result in barriers for women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender asylum applicants. 

This semester, Professor Lewellyn is teaching Introduction to Sociology, a course in which she looks forward to incorporating her own interests in explanations of larger sociological forces. She engages with students in class through a conversational lecture style with supporting power points. She is excited to interact with students, to help them develop a "sociological imagination," and to serve as a guiding force toward reaching success after college. She hopes to teach new and innovative courses within her specialty and anticipates teaching Sociology of Gender in the future.

Meet Professor Beddoes!

Professor Beddoes brings an exciting new perspective to the Sociology Department. Her PhD is in Science and Technology Studies (STS), an interdisciplinary social science field focused on the relationships among science, technology and society. Professor Beddoes holds certificates in both Women’s and Gender Studies and Engineering Education, and studies engineering from a social science perspective. Her research focuses particularly on understanding women’s underrepresentation in engineering.

This semester, Professor Beddoes is teaching Social Problems. She looks forward to incorporating various teaching styles, such as group discussions and peer teaching. She hopes to instill in students an understanding of, “really big ideas…a lot of which run counter to what we are taught to believe,” while still maintaining a degree of difficulty appropriate for a one-hundred level course. In the future Professor Beddoes will be offering two new courses: Science, Technology and Society and Gender and Engineering. 

Nikki Rivera Takes Over Communications and Outreach!

Hello to all students, alum and faculty,

I am very excited to announce that I've taken over the Communications and Outreach Coordinator position for the Sociology Department! I look forward to connecting with each and every one of you.

My mission for this academic year is to continue to foster a community of togetherness and to promote networking among students, alum and other professionals. Please feel free to reach out to me for any type of support and I will do my best to direct to the best resources.

Nikki Rivera

Dominique Rivera
Communications and Outreach Coordinator
Sociology Department
University of Massachusetts Lowell
DominiqueNikkiRivera@gmail.com

Sociology Department Seeking Communications and Outreach Coordinator

Communications and Outreach Coordinator

Sociology Department, U Mass Lowell

The Sociology Department is looking for someone to serve as communications and outreach coordinator to continue the fantastic work begun by Jacqueline DiPersio last year. The job is working in the Department offices in Dugan 205 for 7-10 hours a week during the academic year. The primary responsibilities:

1)     Department outreach and publicity

a.      Establish connections with faculty to keep up a steady flow of communication about Department events and other story ideas

b.     Establish relationships with College Communications Director and Web Office to support ongoing work

c.      Maintain Department Facebook page

                                                    i.     Develop story ideas for FB page, conduct interviews, and write stories to post on FB page

                                                  ii.     Maintain activity of FB page by posting stories or relevant links daily or almost daily

                                                iii.     Do outreach to increase Likes/Engagement on FB page

d.     Maintain and further develop Department web page

                                                    i.     Get trained in Website development program

                                                  ii.     Make changes as needed

                                                iii.     Explore adding additional multimedia components

e.      Work with College Communications and Department Chair to develop new print materials for Department outreach

f.      Support the development of networks and community among current students through the creation of a Sociology Club or other mechanisms

2)     Alumni outreach

a.      Support Department efforts to create network of alums through Facebook, events, and other mechanisms

b.     Maintain alum database

c.      Maintain and update list of alums willing to be contacted about careers

We are looking for someone who is a self-starter, a good writer, detail-oriented, and social media savvy. The person also must have excellent in-person communication skills and be able to build relationships with critical people on campus as well as reach out to alums and others to gather information for stories. Creativity is a must, and an understanding and love of our Department is a positive!

If you are interested please contact Department Chair Mignon Duffy at mignon_duffy@uml.edu.

Congratulations to our very own Jacqueline DiPersio!

I recently started a new job as an Outreach and Communications Director for State Representative Linda Campbell of Methuen. My main duties are handling constituent issues within the district, representing my boss at various meetings pertaining to legislature in the State House, attending district events and meetings, and maintaining her social media presence. I also conduct research on legislation and advise the representative on policy creation and policy decisions. By far, the best part of my job is helping out constituents. Before taking this job, I never realized that people call their local representatives with serious issue and that we, the representative and her staff, can play a major role to help. My first case, I was able to help a women increase her food stamp benefits after they were cut significantly.  She was very low on funds and could hardly afford to eat everyday. After many phone calls and emails , we were able to provide proper documentation and reinstate her benefits. There are no words to describe the feeling of being able to help someone out in this way. I was able to make a huge impact in one person's life. Although I just started, I am grateful and excited for this opportunity to help people.

I have found that the world view I developed through studying sociology has helped me excel in this job so far. The perspective I bring to the table is a good balance with the strong political perspectives of my co-workers. The deep compassion and empathy sociologists develop towards others has also proven to be beneficial for this line of work. One thing sociology has taught me is that policy is important in shaping peoples lives.   I am humbled that I can help contribute to the political process to actually help people.

Prof. Susan Tripathy Thomson's class Helps the Homeless People of Lowell

From left to right, 
Christian Nambu
Emily DelDotto
Katelyn Sanderson
Melvin Gomez

Over the course of the 2015 Spring Semester, Prof. Thomson's class has been volunteering at sites throughout the Lowell Community. One group had the pleasure of volunteering at Living Waters Center of Hope in downtown Lowell. Living Waters is non-profit, volunteer run, drop in center for anyone in need. They offer services to the homeless and the housed. Services include Feeding/hunger relief, Guest Services and Homeless Outreach, Educational Support, and Therapeutic/Recreations programs.

Students from Thomson's class volunteered at Living Waters for 3 hours a week throughout the semester. Their regular duties included serving coffee, preparing breakfast for the homeless, and helping with special projects in the Center. One special project coordinated by the students was a pizza party for the homeless named "PizzArt", where the homeless were able to paint pictures and tap into their creative side while snacking on Pizza.

Since March, the group helped organize and plan the event "Different Strokes of the Same Brush: The Homeless Story" Art Exhibit, held on April 18th. The event's purpose was to tell the story of the homeless of Lowell through their own original artwork. The artwork created at the "PizzArt" paint night was displayed throughout  Living Waters, along side quotes from the artist about their experiences dealing with homelessness.

 The students found experiencing the homeless at a personal level very eye opening, "We know about homelessness, we hear about it all the time and even walk by homeless people in Lowell, but this experience put a face to it. Getting to know them personally I learned that they have goals and self respect, they're hardworking and not just sitting around in life" student volunteer Christian Nambu explained. Living Waters "provides a hopeful place and a peaceful environment for people to come, there's no swearing or fighting, they can come just come to talk and express their feelings, it's a community" said Melvin Gomez. The students found the experience very rewarding and personal. Their volunteer work helped change and shape their attitudes toward homelessness. They hope to continue their volunteer work at Living Waters until the end of the Spring 2015 semester.

2015 Graduate Margaret Marcouillier describes her experience as a Sociology Major and her future plans!

I transferred to UMASS Lowell and became a Sociology Major in the fall of 2013.  My decision to major in Sociology changed my life. The Sociology department at UMAS Lowell is unlike any other department on campus. All of the teachers in the department are amazing and they are always supportive of their students. Since it is a smaller department, you become close to all of your teachers and fellow sociology majors; it’s like a small family. The classes and the department helped me choose what I would do after graduation. I was able to take classes that I found interesting, classes that helped me think in different ways, and classes that pushed me in my personal life too. I have taken a few service learning classes that I would recommend to anyone. I had opportunities to observe different locations and interview different people to give me a first-hand, real world experience of what I was learning in my classes.

I’ve learned so much about myself through my experiences, and I have decided to go onto graduate school when I am finished at UMASS Lowell. I have been accepted into the Assumption College program of School Counseling. I plan to become a high school counselor and I hope to help change the lives of the younger generations like UMASS Lowell has done for me.