Congratulations to GW Sociology Alumnus Scott Grether (MA '12) who was recently promoted to associate professor of sociology and earned tenure at Longwood University. We recently caught up with Scott to discuss his time at GW. Hear what he had to say below!
Scott Grether
From 2010-2012, I attended the George Washington University (GWU) where I received my M.A. in sociology. These two short years had a profound impact on my life. In particular, I’m forever grateful to Dr. Antwan Jones and Dr. Ivy Ken. Not only are they genuine and warm people, but they took me and my ideas seriously.
Antwan and I started at GWU in the same semester. He put a lot of trust in me as his research assistant and took on a lot of responsibility by agreeing to chair my master’s thesis. He never wavered in his support and encouragement. We spent many hours talking about research, presentations, data analysis, writing papers, health disparities, and interracial relationships, marriages, and divorce. Antwan took me seriously and believed I was capable of doing academic work. This inspired and motivated me to continue my dream of becoming a sociology professor.
Ivy was the first person I met at GWU. At the time, she was the Director of Graduate Studies. I remember meeting in Ivy’s office after the 2010 spring semester ended. Even though this is time typically reserved for faculty to write, conduct research, or, frankly, spend however they want, Ivy agreed to carve time out of her day to meet with me. She explained the program requirements, curriculum, how to use the metro, and where to find affordable places to live as a graduate student. She also asked me questions about what I wanted to study, why, and my take on what it means to be a sociologist. I wouldn’t have come to GWU if it weren’t for this meeting. Moreover, Ivy’s feedback on class papers and my master’s thesis profoundly shaped how I think about the world from a sociological perspective.
I was also fortunate to work with Dr. Daina Eglitis and Dr. Michelle Kelso as research assistants. Dr. Patricia “Pat” Lengermann and Dr. Gillian “Jill” Niebrugge-Brantley and Michael Wegner provided tremendous tutelage on pedagogy when I was their teaching assistants. These faculty members provided both material and affective support for me to pursue my PhD in sociology.
I started my Ph.D. program in sociology at North Carolina State University in fall 2012, and graduated summer 2018. A major part of my research agenda centers on studying the reproduction of gender, racial, and class inequality in social interactions. Three questions guide my scholarship in this area: How do people experience inequality in their daily lives? What can we learn about larger systems of inequality from people’s experiences? How do people challenge or reproduce these inequalities? A second major part of my research agenda is in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. I examine obstacles people face in a learning environment and propose potential strategies to address these difficulties. In fall 2018, I started working as a tenure-track, assistant professor of sociology at Longwood University in Farmville, VA. Recently, I was promoted to associate professor of sociology and earned tenure.
I will always have a place in my heart for the sociology department at GWU.