19/10/2022
Meet Sociology professor Marissa Thompson, and learn how she made the shift from engineering to sociology:
"I thought for a long time that I wanted to be an engineering professor. My dad is an engineering professor and, growing up, I was always excited about physics, chemistry, and math. While I was an undergraduate student at Penn majoring in engineering, I also became interested in studying diversity, equity, and inclusion programs for students in STEM majors. I felt that there were a lot of ways that I could have an impact on access to these fields, which is why I became interested in studying the sociology of education.
In addition, what solidified my interest in sociology was the first sociology course that I took in college. I could see reflections of my own life and educational experiences in the readings, lectures, and discussions. I felt like I was able to understand my place in the world, the privileges that I had been afforded, and the inequality that I experienced as an undergraduate student. It was so eye-opening.
Photo of Marissa Thompson wearing a black shirt
I had never taken a class in the social sciences before, but I was able to come in straight from my chemical engineering curriculum and still engage with the course content. I appreciated how accessible the course was, and I think sociology courses can (and should) be accessible to students from different disciplines.
I know how important students’ first introductory courses can be, and I'm hoping that I can be that professor for someone else—that I might teach a course that sparks an interest in sociology in a student for the first time. Even if students are coming to my courses from another discipline, I want them to see how sociology can inform the ways that they think about the world and their place in it. I’m so grateful to my undergrad sociology professors, and I’m hoping that I can pay it forward for my students.
Later, while I was in graduate school, my interest in equity in engineering developed into a broader interest in educational inequality. I had quite a windy path to get to sociology from engineering, but my experiences as an undergraduate student led me to apply to graduate programs in the sociology of education."
Columbia University
Find the full story here: https://provost.columbia.edu/content/faculty-profile-marissa-thompson
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