To follow-up on attending Patricia Gurin's moving lecture & award ceremony yesterday: in a way, much of my work is a result of being one of the kids sitting on a front porch (in my case in Appalachia) looking for a way to make sense of the world she spoke about during her talk.
Toward the end of undergrad I wanted to pursue meaningful work & use my developing sociological imagination & tools. I went to the library & came across a (then) recently published book about why diversity & inclusion mattered for higher ed used in a SCOTUS case.
Trying to figure out a final project for my degree, this book provided me with insight on what I was witnessing on my small college campus. People debated, but didn't engage in dialogue. Inequality & marginalization was normalized despite their peers, even friends being affected.
So, I began to study the campus community & its climate with the important insights garnered from this book guiding my way. From there, I structured my graduate training to follow many of the perspectives garnered from this book.
This training & interest informed my dissertation, which eventually turned into my first book about race, inequality, & student social interactions. rutgersuniversitypress.org/poison-in-the-…
All that to say, Patricia Gurin & the work of her colleagues were quite influential on my educational & career trajectory.
Yesterday evening, I had the opportunity to meet & thank Dr. Gurin for her work & influence on me as a scholar & person.
Given my current book project, I happened to have that book from 15 years ago that helped set me on my path, for which she graciously signed.
Given my current book project, I happened to have that book from 15 years ago that helped set me on my path, for which she graciously signed.
