MSU Degree(s):  

B.A. in English, 2006 

M.S. in Sociology, 2009  

Any other degrees:  

Ph.D. in Sociology, 2014, University of Nebraska--Lincoln 

Favorite memories of being an undergraduate English major:  

Taking courses with Professors Wolf, Bentley, Bogard, Dodds. I also enjoyed being able to register for classes with Professor Marsh as she gave me the flexibility to take electives–this exposed me to sociology courses.  

Current Position:  

Assistant Professor of Sociology 

Organization:  

University of Tennessee, Knoxville 

When you graduated with a degree in English from MSU, what were your plans for your future?  Has your career path mostly realized those early plans, or have you discovered new plans and goals along the way?  

My plan was to attend graduate school in sociology. Yes, my career path has been realized.  

What is your current occupation, and what does your work mostly consist of?  

My current occupation is an assistant professor. My work consists of executing original research, applying for grants, and teaching.   

Which skills that you learned as an English major do you use most in your job?  

There are two skills I learned as an English major: (1) critical reading skills and (2) writing clear and concise sentences.  

What additional skills did you need to learn in order to do your job, and how did you learn them?  

An additional skill I need to do my job is quantitative data analysis. I learned this skill by taking courses and attending the University of Michigan for a summer program in quantitative methods. 

Are there common misconceptions about your career field, which current English majors might share, that you have learned the truth about?  

There is a common misconception about Sociology as a discipline full of personal opinions. When I was an English major, the misconception is that we were learning the “English language”. In both academic disciplines, historical, social, and political contexts are important features for understanding English and Sociology texts.  

In what ways does your career enrich your life and help you to achieve your personal as well as your professional goals?  

My career enriches my life and achieve my personal and professional goals by (1) having the freedom to think and write about inequality in the U.S. and (2) learning about topics that personally helped me to think about the world in more equitable ways. 

What advice do you have for undergraduate English majors right now who might want to follow the career path you did?  

I would encourage undergraduate English majors to take as many courses in the department as possible. One of the best decisions I made as an English major was taking a range of course—from the 16th to the 20th century.