Faculty
Andrei Boutyline, assistant professor
Sanyu Mojola, associate professor
Margo Mahan, postdoctoral fellow & lecturer
Sarah Zelner, postdoctoral fellow & lecturer
Rebecca Christensen, lecturer & staff member

Students
Matthew Bakko
Sidney Harris
AJ Hawks, Jr.
Erin Ice
Ebony Johnson
Katelyn Kennon
Erin McAuliffe
Karina McDonald-Lopez
Giovanni Roman-Torres
Jasmine Simington
Aunrika Tucker-Shabazz


Staff
Rebecca Christensen
Title: Director of Engaged Learning

What is your favorite recipe/food to make?
I enjoy making fruit salads with fresh berries, and adding a bit of mint for an extra touch!

What attracted you to working in higher education?
My experiences as an undergraduate were a very transformative time for me, and I love the vibrant energy of college campuses. I am passionate about supporting students during a crucial transition in their lives as they explore their academic and career interests, navigate their sense of identity, and discover their potential to make a difference in the world. 

Bio: 
As the Director of Engaged Learning, Dr. Rebecca Christensen teaches the Project Community and Intergroup Relations courses and actively identifies opportunities for Sociology students to work and learn in the Southeast Michigan community. She has been working in higher education for over 12 years, with experience in several functional areas including mental health and career counseling, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dr. Christensen completed her Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Michigan, M.A and Ed.M. in Psychological Counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University, and B.A. in Psychology & Social Behavior at the University Of California, Irvine.


Jessica Parks-Piatt
Official Title: Graduate Program Coordinator
What is your favorite recipe/food to make?  I grew up on Paul Prudhomme's Poorman's Jumbalaya and it has become absolute comfort food for me. It is NOT tomato-based, and you have to cut the pepper amounts in half for it to be edible. 

What attracted you to working in higher education?  In a previous career life, I was a volunteer coordinator and worked with undergraduates to fulfill community service or internship requirements.  After a while, I realized that I would rather be on the college end instead of at the non-profit end.  

Bio: After working with graduate students first as a graduate assistant and then as an employee of Vanderbilt University’s Graduate School, I am excited to bring and build on the knowledge of specific issues facing graduate students as I help sociology doctoral students navigate the program and funding.  East Tennessee is home for me, both the Knoxville area and Chattanooga.  Brought to Ann Arbor through my wife’s career (Presbyterian minister), I’ve enjoyed the good food, connected sidewalks, and weekly curbside recycling.  We have two dogs and are reluctantly exploring veganism. 


Helen Lund
Title: Communications Coordinator 

What is your favorite recipe/food to make? My mom's speciality was always buiscuits and gravy. It's a really simple recipe but the memories tied to it beat anything else I could list. Even as a child, I refused to eat anyone's but hers. 

What attracted you to working in higher education? Like most of us, I found myself in higher educatiion through luck. As I student, I worked for UM-Flint and found myself hooked. You are always learning in this envirnoment and life long learning is something that I believe to be very imoportant in life. 

Bio: Helen provides communication support to the departments of Anthropology, Afroamerican and African Studies, and Sociology. For each unit, Helen provides assistance in the creation and development of promotional materials, event support, web maintenance, news writing, photography, and social media management. 


Jeannie Worrall
Title: Executive Secretary

What is your favorite recipe/food to make? My current favorite recipe is spicy vegetable soup.

What attracted you to working in higher education? I continue to work in higher education because I really enjoy working in an educational environment where I’m surrounded by faculty, students, and staff who are curious, engaged, and growing. I also love the energy and sense of community at the University of Michigan, generally, and in the Department of Sociology, specifically. Go Blue!