Report on Alumni
Read the Report on Program Alumni, 2003. This research was conducted by students in Foundations of Applied Sociology, Fall, 2002, under the direction of Professor Russell K. Schutt. The report incorporates selected material from student papers.
Comments from our Alumni
"I wanted to do field work. I wanted to utilize investigative technology. I wanted to do participant and non-participant observational research. I wanted to interview and ask probing questions. I wanted to stand in it, write it down, see it, and feel it."
"The most helpful for my career was the course on SPSS [quantitative data analysis]. It as exactly what I needed in order to gain a stronger footing in my career. SPSS was a new program being used by the agency and I was the only person proficient enough to train others."
"I really had the opportunity to improve my writing skills. I use them every day. I’m the Director of Development at a college, doing fundraising, grant writing, corporate relations, government relations, research and program development. Writing is very important."
"The applied program prepared me for the intense reading, writing, critical thinking analyzing and synthesizing that is required in a PhD program."
"I was well prepared to pursue my Ph.D. in Social Policy at Brandeis. I had better training than my classmates who had received degrees from Harvard and Boston University."
Alumni Snapshots
| ›› | Andrea Tull, MA I was hired at MRC as a Management Analyst where I am responsible for completing several regulatory reports to various stakeholders. I also conduct survey research including our consumer satisfaction and needs assessment surveys, and design and complete studies on agency programs, including cost-benefit analyses and qualitative reviews of case records. Recently, development activities such as grant writing and evaluation have become a primary responsibility, along with developing a comprehensive evaluation protocol for the agency in conjunction with senior management. The Applied Sociology program provided me with a solid foundation in statistical methods, research design and evaluation methods. These are skills that I utilize every day at MRC. I look back fondly on my time in the Applied Sociology program, and continue to stay in touch with faculty and classmates. |
| ›› | Megan Reynolds, MA I currently hold two positions, both of which draw heavily on the skills and experience I gained through the Applied Sociology program at UMass Boston. My primary job is as a research analyst at the … Muskie School of Public Service. Our team develops tools to measure the effectiveness of 11 grant programs administered by the federal government’s Office on Violence Against Women as part of the Violence Against Women Act. We then utilize these tools to gather and compile statistics for OVW regarding the activities supported by their awards. Additionally, we conduct site visits to a sample of funded organizations in order to document grantee’s perceptions of the impact their work is having for victims of domestic violence and the communities in which they live. Finally, we provide training and technical assistance to facilitate the use of the reporting forms which we have created. The strong foundation in research methods that I gained in the Applied Sociology program was instrumental in helping me to secure employment at the University and the instruction I received during my UMass internship was central to my ability to work as a psychometrist. Overall, I credit my study at UMB with the success that I have enjoyed in putting my passion for sociology to work, literally and figuratively. |
| ›› | Lisa Steriti DiGianni, MA, PhD In April of [1995], I transitioned into a position as Study Manager in the Cancer Risk and Prevention Clinic at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. I immediately loved this job – I had my first experience working with women at high risk of breast cancer and learned all about the fascinating world of genetic testing. All of the research skills I learned at UMB went into high gear. I was designing studies, analyzing data and writing scientific papers. I was promoted relatively quickly to Project manager where I began directing projects and supervising junior staff…[After earning my PhD at Northeastern] I am still working at DFCI, however now as a Senior Research Scientist…. My major role is to oversee all of the cancer genetics research studies in the DFCI Cancer Risk and Prevention Clinic. … I still call on the research skills I learned at UMB. …My 2 years in the UMB Applied Sociology program were the best academic experience I have known to this day, clearly outshining all the others. The research skills I learned at UMB have become a part of me; without my research training, I would not have had such professional success—that is clear. To this day, I often and fondly remember the UMB faculty that had a strong and positive influence on me—I admire and respect them enormously; this is reflected in the fact that we have kept in touch with each other for so long. |