Message from the Chair
Welcome to The Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Marshall University.
Wow, what a time to be a social scientist?? Think about it…with all of the challenges and changes we are faced with today as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, there simply is no better time to study social interaction (or distancing as the case may be), family, the workplace, race relations, politics, aging, public health, or the role that religion or sports, leisure, and recreation have in society. Social scientists are well positioned to explore these topics and more!
As we come to the end of the semester, allow me to take a minute to thank our department faculty, staff, and students for all of their hard work, dedication, and resiliency over the two years. I can’t thank our faculty, staff, and students enough for their willingness to adapt to these changes in learning, instruction, meetings, and club events. In hindsight, the spring semester was almost “normal.” Classes were offered in face-to-face, virtual, and online formats. Campus was alive again with invited guests, speakers, and events. Masks requirements were even lifted. Hopefully the Fall 2022 semester will see us return back to the classroom with minor adjustments as the number of people vaccinated and boosted continues to climb.
To our majors, minors, and graduating seniors, we offer our most sincere congratulations! Many of you were juggling additional family and work responsibilities while trying to complete your class requirements. You did well! For those moving on, we wish you all the best. For those returning, we look forward to seeing you back in the classroom this Fall.
For all of us, the end of the spring semester is a time for remembrance. We take stock of where we came from, and have a moment to think about where we are going, as we pursue the future with hope. May your future be all that you hope for, and may it be sprinkled with love and friendship.
Kristi M. Fondren, PhD, Professor and Chair
fondren@marshall.edu 304-696-2795
Read The Social Scientist, Spring 2022 Newsletter