Updates from Alumni
We post updates from alumni and friends as we receive them. Older updates are archived. Use our handy online form to send us your news!
You might also want to check out our departmental news listing for longer stories about our alumni.
Jessica DiVenuti ('09) successfully defended her dissertation titled "Great Expectations: An Evaluation of a Program for Foster Youth in Higher Education" on February 20th, 2024 at William & Mary (Ed.D). She works at ODU in the School of Interdiscplinary Studies as a program advisor. She and her husband welcomed their second child on February 25th.
Kibiriti Majuto ('21) was accepted to Yale University to start his studies in Climate Change Science and Solution. He will also work for the Congressional Research Service in the Middle East and Africa Section.
Phoebe Linnell ('24) has begun a new internship with the National Museum of African American History & Culture! She will serve as an oral history interviewer with the Social Justice Oral History Conversations. Phoebe is well-prepared for this exciting opportunity through her participation in the Local Black Histories Project, a university-community research collaboration between The Village Initiative for Equity in Education and faculty and students in the Sociology Department. Phoebe also served as a Community Fellow with the Sociology Department’s Social Justice Policy Initiative. In this position, she worked with The Let Freedom Ring Foundation.
Alton Coston (’23) has been selected as Schwarzman Scholars, one of the premier graduate fellowships in the world. The scholarship provides one year of funding for graduate study in global affairs at Schwarzman College on the campus of Tsinghua University in Beijing. It also provides an immersive experience in China, guest lectures from prominent global leaders, and career development resources including internships and mentors. Alton served as a Community Fellow with the Sociology Department’s Social Justice Policy Initiative. In this position, he worked with The Village Initiative, a grassroots organization focused on educational equity.
Sarah Joyce ('23), Sociology/Public Policy graduate and former Social Justice and Policy Initiative Fellow, has landed a job at Urban Land Institute's Terwilliger Center for Housing.
Cord Jefferson ('04), Writer, Director, read more about Cord's journey from Sociology major at William & Mary to an Oscar nominee. You can find his profile in the W&M Alumni Magazine.
Diego Osuna ('93), double majored in Sociology and English with a Business Administration concentration. Hailing from Bogota, Colombia, his journey at William & Mary was shaped by cultural duality. During his time at W&M he came to understand the benefits of pairing Brand Marketing with a Sociological perspective and the need to understand group behavior for impactful communication. In the Sociology Department he was inspired by Professors Michael Faia, Satoshi Ito, Jon Kerner, Kate Slevin, and Dean David Aday and even crafted final paper in Spanish for an honors course. While an undergraduate student, he co-founded the Latin American Students Club, which culminated in the inaugural Latin American Ambassadorial Summit in Williamsburg. For Diego a paramount lesson from Boswell Hall is that work doesn't define you. He credits his time at W&M for opening doors to diverse experiences—Commodities Trading, Audit, Finance, Supply Chain, HR,entrepreneurship and 15 years in marketing at Fortune 500 companies.
Now, in his current role at T-Mobile, Diego says that sociological insights are his secret “salsa.” Focusing on the US Hispanic community, he harnesses demographic trends to craft an inclusive brand.
Maya Farr-Henderson ('20 B.A.) has been hired as a Research Coordinator in the Behavioral Health and Performance Lab at NASA, after completing a Masters in Public Health at Emory University. As NASA is preparing for long duration space flight, she will help study the behavioral health and impact of astronauts experiencing extended isolation. Maya says ”I am so excited to use sociological tools in complement with biomedical research to study a little microcosm of society living and working together towards a specific goal in space and to contribute in any way I can to make their work easier.” After graduation, Maya also published research from her W&M senior honors thesis in Sociology of Development, a journal of the American Sociological Association (available here). Her research explored the tensions and contradictions of international volunteering.
Candace McCreary ('79, M.A) is teaching in Sociology and Psychology departments at College of DuPage in Illinois, specialty areas are Gender Studies, Marriage and Family and Statistics. Elected Trustee on Board of Trustees for Elgin Community College in Elgin Illinois.
Stephen Morewitz ('75 B.A., '78 M.A.) is a forensic social scientist, health care specialist, and medical educator who conducts research, teaches, and consults in forensic social science, chronic disorders, injuries, and health care across the life course, and medical education. He is on the faculty at San Jose State University and California State University, East Bay.
Amber Bowman (’21) was recently named an Edward W. Hook Scholar at the University of Virginia’s School of Medicine. This position allows Amber to bring her major in Sociology to bear on pressing questions in the field of medicine as she trains to be a doctor. As a Hook Scholar at the Center for Health Humanities and Ethics (CHHE), Amber will pursue a research project that integrates the humanities and humanistic social sciences into her medical school experience. While at W&M, Amber pursued a pre-med track through Sociology. As a Research Fellow at the Social Justice Policy Initiative, Amber studied the structural and historical determinants of food insecurity and health disparities in the greater Williamsburg area with Dr. Travis Harris and Professor Amy Quark.
Tiffani J. Bright ('01), PhD, FACMI was awarded a 2021 American Medical Informatics Association Leadership Award for service as Chair for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force.
Robert Ressler ('10) just started a new job as a senior research assistant at the Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy at Brandeis University. He will be working with diversitydatakids.org as well as on grant-funded projects to improve access to opportunity for children and families! (2020/09)
Lindsay Bouchard ('17) is currently a research analyst at a trial consulting company. We run mock trials (including well-known ones in the news) and run focus groups and jury selection. I use SPSS and rely on what I learned at William & Mary everyday. Currently, I am one of the team members spearheading our detour into virtual jury consulting.
Caroline Arnold ('19): Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, Fulbright programs worldwide were shut down, meaning that I had to come back to the USA from Bulgaria earlier than I had expected, but the 7 months I did get to spend in Bulgaria were wonderful. I got to teach and learn from some really inspiring young people, explore a beautiful country, and learn a little bit of a new language. Highlights include coaching a small team of students at a regional English speech tournament, leading lessons on Black History Month, and playing infinite games of jeopardy. Throughout it all, the things I learned in my sociology classes proved absolutely invaluable. I felt very well equipped to explore Bulgarian culture, traditions, social problems, etc. in a respectful and sensitive way, both in the classroom with my students and outside of the classroom with friends and colleagues. I am so grateful for the perspective that I gained from the sociology program. My understanding of the world and my place in it were transformed by the classes I took in this department, and I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to learn in such a welcoming and supportive yet challenging environment. I am a better person for it. I am jealous of all of the new students entering the program, they don't know how much they will gain. And if there was ever a department and faculty that could handle the difficulties of teaching under the current circumstances, it’s W&M Sociology. Thank you for everything that you do! (2020/05)
Dan Moriarty ('93), After spending the last 12 years in Bolivia, I returned to Washington, DC in 2019. I am currently working as coordinator of the Sustainable Pathways to Peace program at the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns (maryknollogc.org). We do advocacy for peace, social justice, and the integrity of creation on behalf of the Maryknoll Sisters, Lay Missioners, and Fathers & Brothers - Catholic missioners working with impoverished and marginalized communities around the world. I'll also be teaching a course on The Church & The Poor in the Justice & Peace Studies department at Georgetown University.
I live with my wife, Rocío, and our two sons, Santiago (16) and Francisco (13) in Assisi Community, a Catholic(ish?) intentional community in Washington, DC committed to simple living, solidarity, and social transformation. But we may not stay long. Part of the reason we came back to the DC area is because I have a lot of friends from college here, but it's hard to host middle-age ragers when you share your living space with 11 other people who don't even know what a Hot Holly is. (2020/04)
Megan Dent Worrell '15, MEd '16, Megan studied fell in love with sociology when at W&M and got her BA with her major in sociology. Megan then went to the School of Education at William & Mary and studied elementary education. She graduates in 2016 with her MAEd in elementary education. Megan remains in the area and is serving her 3rd year as an elementary teacher. She has taught both 4th and 5th grade in the last three years. The sociology background gave Megan extensive knowledge to apply to her job as an educator! (2018/12)
Trent Tschirgi ('79) after graduating with a double major in Biology and Sociology in 1979, Trent Tschirgi went to the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, graduating in 1984. He has worked in many Pharmacy specialties, including Nursing Homes, Retail, Hospital, and Home IV Pharmacy. To better serve various immigrant groups, he learned to speak Russian and Spanish in addition to French. He reports that "insights gained from the study of Sociology often helped me navigate my dealings with layers of management at various companies--and oddly, also with criminals who tried to give me forged prescriptions." He has testified in approximately 50 drug-crime-related cases, sometimes as an expert witness. He is licensed to practice pharmacy in two US states and in British Columbia, Canada, where he currently practices and lives. (10/2017)
Megan Brew ('15) during her time as an undergraduate in the William & Mary Sociology Department, Megan delved into the roots of inequality, historical contexts of marginalization and issues of access, persistence and retention in higher education. Megan explored her academic passions further through summer internships at the Virginia Community College Foundation and the W&M Office of Undergraduate Admission. After graduating summa cum laude in 2015, Megan teamed up with a fellow William & Mary grad to build a nonprofit, the Armed Services Arts Partnership, to provide arts classes for veterans. Megan transitioned from the nonprofit sphere when she returned to higher education to pursue her Master’s degree in Higher Education from the University of Virginia. She graduated from UVA in spring 2017 and relocated to Washington DC to serve as a Career Management Advisor for undergraduate students in the American University Kogod School of Business.
Ashley Ingram ('11) graduated from William & Mary in 2011 with a double major in Sociology and Economics. Upon graduation, Ashley began an Americorps VISTA position with the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, working with a community organization in Brooklyn to address issues of food insecurity. She built resources to increase participation in the SNAP program and expanded access to nutritious food options by supporting community gardens and local produce vendors. Later, after a year working as a legal assistant, Ashley enrolled at Yale Law School. During her time a YLS, Ashley has been able to work on a number of public interest projects. As an intern at the Center for Popular Democracy, she helped create legal and organizing strategies to protect retail workers facing uncertain and harmful scheduling practices and developed a policy guide on best city policies to address climate justice issues. While interning at Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services, Ashley helped serve Appalachian residents facing environmental threats. Throughout law school, Ashley has also worked as a student intern in the Veterans Legal Services Clinic where she has helped veterans suffering from PTSD gain access to the services and benefits they need to successfully return to civilian life. After graduating, Ashley hopes to pursue a legal career focused on environmental justice.
From the research skills that help sort through piles of documents and effectively interview and counsel clients to the perspectives and lenses to understand the scope and impact of legal policies, Ashley says the skills and lessons she learned studying Sociology have been both defining and impactful throughout her journey. (8/2017)
