Our Graduates Talk about Their Careers and  Sociological Skills.

Jamie Wooley-Snider, BA 2017, MA 2019

I became a Sociology major so that I could learn how to conduct the research that influences public policy. The skills I acquired in the Sociology program are competitive and in-demand. I have a solid background in quantitative  (statistical) and qualitative data analysis and worked on projects utilizing  case analysis/study and program evaluation.

Presenting my research at the annual Sociological Symposium and Gender & Sexuality Conference was paramount to developing the social, communication, and public speaking skills in today’s job market. It also enabled me  to participate in the strategic planning of these events and to share my work with campus, local, state, and regional communities.

To view Jamie's 2021 co-authored publication with Dr. Jennifer Pearson, click here

Daniel Saunders, BA 2018

Sociology helped me understand the connections between my everyday life and large-scale social phenomena like why the quality of neighborhoods is unevenly distributed around Wichita, how trends in economic inequality influences one’s chances of being successful, or why some social movements are successful while others burn out.

Sociology also provided me with a set of powerful research tools to think systematically and test explanations of social phenomena. Currently,  I am pursuing a graduate degree in philosophy at York University in Toronto, studying foundational questions in the methodology of the social sciences.  Read more about Daniel's recent publication here.

Stephen Juza, MA 2013

 I work for Service Management Group in the London office where I work  in the research department analyzing customer satisfaction data.  Most recently, I worked on the Chick-fil-A account for about a year, and now I will be working on the Walgreen's division in the UK. 

My sociology background gave me the statistics and research background necessary.   A lot of my research uses ANOVA or regression. I have also specialized in our qualitative research with customer's comments.  With my qualitative research tasks, I work closely with our Product and Data Science departments.

Philip Pettis, BA 2013

My degree at Wichita State University provided me with the foundation for understanding the social issues that I am most interested in such as health and medicine, the body, sociobiology and sexuality. Sociology is an invaluable tool to illuminate the centrality of the body to nearly all social experience.

The qualitative and quantitative methodology, as well as the diverse theoretical tools I have learned at both Wichita State University and Vanderbilt University provided me with the ability to answer questions rooted in all things related to the social. To access Philip's collaborative research articles on social networks and health inequality click here.

 

Rosemary Yeilding Radich, MA 2011

 I am the Director of Data Science  at AccuWeather. Every day, I or someone on my team uses data and analysis to develop new products and learn about how weather is impacting people – using the same methods I learned in school.

I’ve used my understanding of organizational structure and how human interaction is influenced by the structures around us to navigate the corporate world. I learned how to think critically, do research, and have data and statistics to back up my position.  Being able to use my degree in Sociology to help people and provide for my family has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career.  See Rosemary's article on data analytics in business.