Current Graduate Students
Sociology Graduate Students and Areas of Interest
Kate Acosta entered the NU graduate program in the Fall of 2009. She received her B.A. in Sociology from Whitman College in 2009. As a graduate student in Sociology at Northeastern University, Kate's research interests are focused on the sociology of gender, globalization, and inequality. Specifically, Kate's past research centered around issues of dual-career families, stress, and ritual in daily life.
Margot E. Abels entered the NU Sociology Doctoral Program in the Fall of 2009. She graduated from the Johns Hopkins University with a BA in 1985 and attained a Masters degree in American Women’s History from Sarah Lawrence College in 1989. After completing her masters, the focus of her work was predominantly on the fields of women’s health, HIV prevention and treatment, education and training regarding GLBT youth, adolescent alcohol and drug use and school-based sexuality education. She coordinated the CDC-funded HIV/AIDS Program for the Massachusetts Department of Education, directed the Alcohol and Drug/Health Education Program for Tufts University and has worked as an independent consultant conducting training in diversity, violence prevention, addiction and related issues. She has also taught an online Wellness and Health Policy course at Salem State College. Margot’s research interests include 1) considering health disparities through a lens of social justice with particular regard to class, race, geography, environment, immigrant status, gender, and sexual orientation; 2) the challenge of designing, implementing and advocating for evidenced-based health education & policy within their broader environmental and political contexts (with a particular focus on sexuality education, alcohol and drug education, mental health & adolescent prevention and health promotion); and, 3) strengthening multiracial families; equity in the foster care/adoption systems. She lives in Lynn with her wife and daughter and is an active volunteer and member of the Board of Directors for the North Shore Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Youth.
Sandra P. Arevalo received her BA in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts-Boston, and her MA in Sociology in April 2005 from Northeastern University. Sandra is currently working full-time at the Institute on Urban Health Research as a Project Evaluator of three federal funded grants aimed to improve treatment among women with substance abuse disorders. Her main research is focused on social determinants of health and how social disparities affect health; especially socioeconomic, race/ethnicity, and gender disparities. Sandra is particulary interested on how racial/ethnic and socioeconomic discrimination affects the health of minority populations. | Curriculum Vitae
Tammi Arford entered the NU graduate program in the Fall of 2006. She received her B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Florida in 2006, and her M.A. in Sociology from Northeastern University in 2008. As a graduate student in Sociology at Northeastern University, Tammi's research interests are focused on punishment and social control, criminology, and gender as part of the violence and conflict concentration. | T_Arford.cv_7.2009.pdf
Christina Briadotti, is interested in Holocaust Education, Jewish-Christian Relations, Violence and Conflict
Sean Brown received his B.S. from Texas Christian University in December of 1997 in Radio-Television-Film, and completed his A.M. in Social Science at the University of Chicago in August of 2004. Sean's work thus far has sought to shed light on the nature of sports fans, especially with regards to soccer in the United States. As a Ph.D. student, I hope to continue asking questions about sports fans by using other theoretical approaches, including globalization and nationalism, social movements, and notions of community and cultural identification amongst sports fans.
Areas of Interest: Sociology of Sport, Globalization, Political Economy, and Qualitative Methods. | Curriculum Vitae
Tony Buell earned a B.S. in sociology with a minor in psychology from Portland State University in 2008, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Undergraduate research included the prison-industrial complex, the immigrant rights movement and social movements more generally, as well as a race/class analysis of post-Katrina New Orleans. His academic interests include social issues surrounding drug use and rehabilitation programs,counseling psychology, criminal justice reform, radical political action, and race/class/gender analysis. He entered the NU graduate program in the Fall of 2009.
Linda Christen entered the NU graduate program in the Fall of 2003. She received her B.A. in Sociology from Framingham State College in 2002, and her M.A. in Sociology from Northeastern University in 2005. Prior to beginning her studies at Northeastern University Linda was involved in community organizations including running a local coffeehouse, a founding member of her town’s arts center and multiple parent organizations. Linda also devoted time to pursuing her interest in pottery through working in both her home studio and membership in a local ceramics guild. As a graduate student in Sociology at Northeastern University, Linda's research interests are focused on culture, community, gender, social movements and the arts. Linda is still a potter, board member for her local arts organization and maintains membership in her ceramics co-op. Thus, she continues ground level involvement to support her academic interests in community and the arts. Stemming from course work in violence, Linda has trained to be a volunteer for the Boston Area Rape Crises Center, where she hopes her small contributions will help to eradicate rape. On a more personal note, Linda is a single mother of two college age children. She returned to complete her Bachelors degree when her youngest child entered middle school. | CV_Linda Christen.pdf
Sarah Cope completed her Master's at Northeastern's Sociology department in May 2006. Originally from Charleston, SC, she received her B.S. in Sociology at the College of Charleston. Sarah's first years in graduate school led her into projects on both lesbian intimate partner violence and sexual assault. Along with studying violence against women, Sarah is committed to providing direct service as a medical advocate for the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center.
She taught her first course in the summer of 2006, "Class, Power, and Social Change." Recently, she has passed her first comprehensive examination, Violence Against Women, and is currently working on her second, Violence at Colleges and Universities. She hopes to begin work on her dissertation proposal this spring.
Sarah is interested in violence, both interpersonal and collective. She is also interested in social psychology and definitional issues surround social phenomenon such as sexual assault, intimate partner violence, cults, hate groups, and militias.
Amanda M. Crabb, received her B.A. in Women's Studies from the University at Buffalo in December 1998, Master's in Women's Studies from The University of Alabama in August 2004. Amanda has focused past research on sexual harassment and workplace policies and abortion issues. Her areas of interest are Race, Class and Gender.
Jennifer Dobruck entered the graduate program in the Fall of 1998. She received her B.A. from Central Connecticut State University in 1996 and her M.A. from Northeastern University in 2000. Jennifer is pursuing her PhD with a specialization in social stratification/inequality and urban sociology, with particular interest in wealth disparities. Currently Jennifer serves as the Associate Director of Research and Innovation at Crittenton Women’s Union (CWU), a Boston area nonprofit that seeks to transform the course of low-income women’s lives so they can attain economic independence. Prior to joining CWU, Jennifer served as the Associate Director of the Boston based civil rights organization, Organization for a New Equality (ONE). She has years of experience teaching, serving as an advocate for families experiencing homelessness, program management and evaluation. Since 2003, Jennifer has served in various roles on the Executive Council of the New England Sociological Association (NESA).
Meghan Doran received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Community Planning in 2005 from the University of Massachusetts/Boston. She has worked in the Adult Basic Education field for the past six years, teaching ESOL and literacy. Most recently, she taught adult basic literacy to inmates at the Suffolk County House of Correction. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for WE LEARN, an organization which promotes women's literacy resources and opportunities. Her research interests include education, inequality, and social justice.
Michelle Elder entered the NU graduate program in the Fall of 2009. She received her B.A. in Sociology from Hanover College in December of 2008. Beginning in February of 2008, she was a Jefferson County Transitional Services for Women Board of Directors member, assisting in the development of transitional housing for women in the area. From June-December 2008 she taught classes at the local women's prison on gender, art, and the family. In addition, she participated in raising awareness of gender related issues on Hanover College's campus by participating in organizations such as the Vagina Monologues and Love Out Loud for GLBT rights. As a graduate student in Sociology at Northeastern University, Michelle's research interests are focused on sexuality, identity, the family, knowledge, religion, structural inequality, and the justice system as part of the gender concentration. She plans to complete her PhD and teach at the college level.
Jill Eshelman did her undergraduate work at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI. She graduated in May 2004 with a B.A. in Sociology, Spanish, and Secondary Education.
Areas of Interest: Policy, Urban Sociology, and Spain/Latin America Studies.
Lisa Ferruccio entered the NU graduate program in the Fall of 2008. She received her B.A. in Sociology and Public Relations from Syracuse University in 2001. From 2001 to 2006 Lisa worked in client services for institutional financial firms in both Boston and Los Angeles. As a graduate student in Sociology at Northeastern University, Lisa’s research interests are focused on globalization, economics and Latin America.
Yodeline Guillaume received her B.A. in Sociology with a double major in Psychology from Emmanuel College in 2007. She is a Research Intern in the Policy and Advocacy for Women's Health Department at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Her research interests include issues related to social conflict, inequality, and stratification. Witnessing the impact of poverty and inequality in her native country has, to a large extent, continued to shape her areas of study and career choices.
Andrea Hill entered the Northeastern University graduate program in the Fall of 2005. She received her B.A. in Sociology from the University Southern Indiana in 2005, and her M.A. in Sociology from the Northeastern University in 2007. As a graduate student in Sociology at Northeastern University, Andrea's research interests are centered around economic and cultural globalization, political economy, ideology, social theory, and social movements as part of the globalization concentration at Northeastern. More specifically, Andrea is interested in an understanding of the cultural dynamics of neoliberalism and the ways it is lived and felt in the daily lives of U.S. workers. She is currently researching the relationship between economic crisis and the neoliberal achievement ideology.
Christopher Hovey received his B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2005. He went on to work for the Alliance for Technology, Learning, and Society (ATLAS) at the University of Colorado as the research coordinator in the Assessment and Research Center studying the issues in social and communication informatics, education, and gender. Studying abroad in Egypt, working with an NGO in Liberia, and travel experiences throughout the Middle East, Europe, India, and West Africa have inspired him to pursue his current interests in studying the application of innovative technologies to address issues in globalization and international development. His areas of interest are globalization and international development, social cohesion, the global economy, international politics, social informatics, terrorism, and the Middle East.
Brandy Hubbard received her B.A. Summa Cum Laude in Sociology with a concentration in Social Work from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH in 2004. Before beginning her graduate studies, Brandy worked with victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence at crisis centers in New Hampshire. Her areas of interest are violence against women, gender studies, inequality, and immigration.
Lora Karaoglu, is studying environmental sociology is one of my interest areas, I'm very grateful that the department assigned me to teach Environment and Society under Sr. SGA grant. Teaching this course from a political economy perspective has been beneficial for me in many ways. I had the opportunity to share my experience and knowledge with my students while conducting research to keep myself up to date with current literature in this field. As I was upgrading the course material and preparing course readers, I further developed my ideas for my dissertation project. Furthermore, I believe having this teaching experience prepared me well for future full-time teaching positions that I might apply for after graduation.
Areas of Interest: Environmental Sociology, Political Economy, Cross-national Environmental Policy, Globalization, Environmental Justice and Sustainable Development. | KopruluKanyon_National_Park_by_Karaoglu_2004.pdf | Syllabus | Syllabus
Amie Levesque, received a B.A. in Sociology and History from the University of Denver in 2003, and my M.A. in Sociology from Northeastern University in 2005. Currently, I am teaching Gender in a Changing Society here at Northeastern, while finishing my coursework for my Ph.D. As an instructor, my teaching goals have been to expose each of my students to a diverse collection of primary sources so that they may get a richer experience that a traditional text book does not provide. In my course, my students read and openly discuss historical documents, as well as qualitative and quantitative research which enables them to formulate their own thoughts on such an extensive topic as gender. This teaching experience has been a journey for myself and my students as we continue to learn from each other.
Areas of Interest: Sociology of Children, Public School Education, Social History, Gender and Masculinity, Childhood Obesity, and Russian History and Culture.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and cats, traveling, yoga, and working with the children of Boston Public School. | Curriculum Vitae | Syllabus
Amy Lubitow received her B.A. in Sociology from Ithaca College in 2004 and has earned her M.A. in Sociology from Northeastern. As a research associate in the Northeastern Environmental Justice Research Collaborative, Amy is interested in research related to human health, environmental justice, and U.S. chemicals policy.
Areas of Interest: Her areas of interest are environmental sociology, social movements and gender.
Eric Madfis began graduate school at Northeastern University in the Fall of 2005. Originally from the Boston area, Eric received both his B.A. Summa Cum Laude and M.A. in Sociology from Northeastern University. Before graduate school, he held numerous research assistant positions. He conducted public health research at John Snow Inc., mental health research at the Human Services Research Institute, and research on hate crimes and large-scale riots at the Brudnick Center on Violence and Conflict. As a graduate student in Sociology at Northeastern, Eric rejoined the Brudnick Center as a research associate and has focused his scholarship upon critical and cultural criminological theory, youth subculture and counterculture, workplace and school violence, and violent masculinity. In his spare time, Eric enjoys old fashioned rock and roll, playing with his puppy Willie Mae, and eating to excess.| MadfisCV.pdf
Melissa Matthews entered the NEU graduate program in the fall of 2008. She received her BA in Sociology from James Madison University in 2004. From 2004-2005, Melissa served a year in the AmeriCorps Victim’s Assistance Program working as a court advocate for victims of domestic violence in New Hampshire. After completing her year of service, Melissa worked for Bridges: Domestic & Sexual Violence Support from 2005-2008 as the Program Coordinator of their Milford Office. In this position she had the opportunity to continue advocating for victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition, she coordinated many community outreach programs and also gave educational presentations to community groups as well as conducted preventative programs in high schools about gender stereotypes, teen dating violence, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. As a graduate student at Northeastern University, Melissa’s research interests are focused on gender, violence, inequality, and empowerment. More specifically, Melissa is studying domestic violence and child custody and gender discrimination within the legal system. Additionally, she is a research assistant for the Wellesley Centers for Women’s Gender and Justice Project, where she is collecting information about domestic violence and child custody in the Massachusetts Courts. Melissa also continues to volunteer for her local domestic violence crisis center as an advocate and is on the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence’s Committee on Child Safety in Custody and Visitation. In general, Melissa is passionate about social justice and practical application of her sociological skills and is happy to be in a department that supports the practice of public sociology.
Mark Melnik, is a 6th year graduate student. My interests are in urban sociology and community analysis. I have recently completed my 2nd (and final) comprehensive exam. I am currently working with Barry Bluestone and the Center for Urban and Regional Policy on my dissertation, which will be a labor market analysis examining human capital characteristics in communities and how they relate to the needs of industry. In addition, I also teach classes in the department. Over the last 3 years, I have taught Statistics, Research Methods, Senior Seminar in Urban Sociology, and Sport, Culture, and Society.
Areas of Interest: Urban Sociology, Political Economics, Community Analysis, Statistics, and Work-Class Studies. | Mark_Melnik_Vitae.pdf | Syllabus | Syllabus | Syllabus | Syllabus
Tainah Michida entered the NU graduate program in the Fall of 2009. She received her B.A. in communication and sociology from Villanova University in 2008. Following graduation, she worked as a grant writer for a non-profit organization in Philadelphia and as an ESL instructor in São Paulo, Brazil. As a graduate student and teaching assistant in Sociology at Northeastern University, Tainah’s research interest areas lie in race and ethnicity, inequality, urban sociology, and mental health.
Jaronda Miller, Race and Ethnicity, and Stratification
Patricia Morris, Methods (both Quantitative and Qualitative), Medical Sociology, Sociology of Professions: The Socialization of Veterinary Students, Study of Human/Animal Relationships, and Gender, Work, and Labor Relations, Curriculum Vitae | SOC_U101_Syllabus.pdf | Syllabus
Tamara Ochoa, Sociology of Gender, Family, Work, Unequal Divisions of Carework, Gender, Race, Class, Nation
Justine Pang received her B.A. in Sociology from Wellesley College. She also served as a Health Economics Research Intern at MIT during 2004-2005, and as an Epidemiology Research Intern at the Harvard School of Public Health from 2000-2004.
Areas of Interest: Ms Pang's research interests center around economic sociology and public health.
Kat Rickenbacker received a B.A. from Smith College in 2004 (Sociology major, Environmental science and policy minor).
Areas of Interest: Methods (quantitative and qualitative), Environmental sociology, Demography, Immigration, Environmental policy and sustainable development.
Estye Ross Fenton received her B.A. from Middlebury College in 2004 and her M.A. in Anthropology and Women's Studies from Brandeis University in 2005. At Brandeis, she focused on subculture, media perceptions, and the performance of gender, race/ethnicity, nationality, and class, as well as on ethnographic and "feminist" research methods. Her master's thesis, "From Roseanne to Carrie Bradshaw: Working Class Women's Perceptions of Women on Television" was published in the Brandeis graduate student journal.
Areas of Interest: Having spent the last two years working in private education, her interests have shifted towards education, work, community formation, and the reproduction of privilege within the broader context of race and inequality.
Margaret Scarsdale returned to school after a long hiatus to work in the corporate world. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Massachusetts/Lowell in the spring of 2007 with a B.A. in American Studies and a minor in both Peace and Conflict Studies and English. She received the Chancellor’s Medal for Academic Excellence and the Harold Bakkin award for outstanding scholarship. In August, she will present a paper entitled, “Untangling the Relationship between Economic Inequality and Democracy” to the Honors forum at the annual ASA meeting in New York City. Besides being a full-time mother and student, she works full time securing economic improvement grants for the town of Ayer, Massachusetts.
Areas of Interest: Her hobbies include reading, writing journal reviews, and finding ways to simplify her life.
Victoria R. Schow is a first year graduate student at Northeastern University. In May 2006 she received a B.A. in Sociology from Geneva College.
Areas of Interest: Race and Ethnicity, Stratification, and Urban Sociology.
Leandra Smollin entered the NU graduate program in the Fall of 2005. She received her B.A. with a double-major in English and Gender Studies from Stonehill College in 2005, and her M.A. in Sociology and Graduate Certificate in Women's Studies from Northeastern in 2007. While an undergraduate at Stonehill, Leandra helped create the Gender Studies program and was actively involved in many community projects, including the organization of a V-Day campaign to raise awareness and funds for agencies addressing domestic violence and sexual assault. Leandra also worked as a research assistant in Stonehill's department of Sociology. As a graduate student in Sociology at Northeastern University, Leandra's research interests span the sociology of gender, inequality, and conflict and violence concentrations. Specifically, Leandra is studying how race, class, gender and sexuality intersect in the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth, influencing their experiences in dating relationships marked by intimate partner violence. Leandra's other areas of interest include feminist theory and methodology, and the sociology of popular culture. Leandra is currently an instructor in the Sociology department at NU and the Administrative and Project Assistant at Northnode, Inc., a non-profit organization in the health and human services sector. | LeandraSmollin_CV2009.pdf
Emily Smykla entered the NU graduate program in the Fall of 2008. She received her B.A. in Sociology and Spanish from Drew University in 2008. As a graduate student in Sociology at Northeastern University, Emily’s research interests are focused on the sociology of gender, feminist theory, sociology of the body, mass media, and consumerism.
Katrina Uhly entered the NU graduate program in the Fall of 2009. She received her B.A. in English literature and Spanish from Elmira College in 2004 and her M.A. in Educational Leadership: Leadership, Policy, and Politics from Teachers College, Columbia University in 2005. From 2005-2007, she served as a budget/research assistant in the Dean’s Office at Teachers College, and she was a research fellow in the University of Minnesota’s College of Education & Human Development from 2007-2009.
As a graduate student and teaching assistant in Sociology at Northeastern University, Katrina’s research interests are focused on the intersection of gender and work, particularly in the areas of work-life policies, leadership, preparation for work, and education, both in the United States and internationally, as part of the sociology of gender and globalization concentrations. She is additionally interested in the study of violence, conflict, and reconciliation from comparative international and global perspectives. Katrina is a co-author of the book Sustaining Our Spirits: Women Leaders Thriving for Today and Tomorrow (NASW Press, 2008), and she is also a member of the Community of Sant’Egidio, an international lay Catholic association dedicated to solidarity with the poor, ecumenical dialogue, and peace.
Laura Visser entered the NU graduate program in the Fall of 2009. She received her B.A. in Sociology from the Raboud University of Nijmegen, the Netherlands, in July of 2009. As a graduate student in Sociology at Northeastern University, Laura's research interests are focused on the Sociology of Gender. More specifically, Laura is studying how gender relates to the work and family life but also to other domains in society. Laura's reasons for studying in America are that this provides her with more of a challenge and enables her to focus her research on gender.
Yingchan Zhang entered the NU graduate program in the Fall of 2009. She received her Bachelor's Degree of Economics from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (China) in 2007, and her M.A. in Regional Economic and Social Development from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2009. For her master's thesis, she did a case study on the experiences of immigrant nurses in Lowell, Massachusetts. From 2007 to 2009, she served as Research Assistant for the project An Ethnographic Study of Lowell, MA: Immigration, Globalization and Enterprise in the ‘All-American City'. As a graduate student in Sociology at Northeastern University, Yingchan's research interests are focused on globalization, immigration, race and ethnicity, gender, urban sociology, and economic sociology. In the fall of 2009, she is a Teaching Assistant for the course Peoples and Cultures. She believes that "the best form of saying is doing" (by José Martí) and loves cooking, practicing yoga, taking long walks, and traveling. | Y.Zhang.CV_2009.pdf