Carroll College Sociology

05/02/2026

✨ Student Celebrations & Acknowledgements ✨

The Carroll College Sociology Department and Gender Studies Program would like to congratulate and acknowledge some amazing student achievements.

Slide 1- Ella Hubach (GNDR minor, '26) was a recipient of this year's Hunthausen Service Award!

Slide 2- Sydney Forrey (SOC minor, '27) was a recipient of this year's Hunthausen Service Award!

Slide 3- Liv Richardson (SOC major, '26) has been accepted into Carroll College's MSW Program!

Slide 4- Ethan Hull (SOC major, '27) accepted a research internship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with Dr. Bryan Roth!

Slide 5- Gina Piffarerio (SOC minor, '26) has been accepted into Maastricht University's Work and Organizational Psychology program!

Slide 6- Xzavier Ford (SOC major, '26) presented his research, "Perceptions on the Inclusion of Non Jazz Artists at Jazz Festivals," at the Pacific Sociological Conference in Long Beach, CA, earlier this month!

🎉 Congratulations to these students! Your dedication & hard work do not go unnoticed!

04/26/2026

Our '25 grad Veronika and her husband Tyler have a brand new baby girl! We are supporting the family through a Meal Train. If you would like to provide a meal or gift card, please pm us for the link.

Send a message to learn more

04/23/2026

✨ Student Spotlight ✨

👋 Meet senior Lori Hansen!

📚 Lori is majoring in Sociology with a Criminology emphasis and is on the Pre-Law pathway.

😇 Lori chose Carroll because "... it's close to home and flexible to bring my kids if need be (and I've exercised that often LOL)."

📝 Lori's senior research was "The Effects of Parenting Roles Across Separation on Child Emotional and Physical Well-being," which focused on how parental dynamics pre-separation affect children post-separation. She interviewed single mothers who had been separated or divorced in the last 5 years, whose children were 10 years old or younger.

🎓 Lori is currently weighing a few different options for post-graduation, but her primary focus is and will continue to be her children.

💬 Lori says, "The advice I would give to current students is to keep questioning concepts, it makes for good discussion and displays your critical thinking abilities; also to structure your schedule so you can continue to prioritize other areas in your life."

🎉 We are so happy for you, Lori! Congratulations on your upcoming graduation!

04/23/2026

✨ On Tuesday, we held an induction ceremony to recognize our newest members of our Honors Society, Alpha Kappa Delta.

The inductees this year are:
Soren Bammert
Lori Hansen
Ethan Hull
Liv Richardson
Madalen Shipman
Carlee Smith
*Madalen and Carlee are not pictured.

🎉 This is an incredible accomplishment. Congratulations to this year's inductees!

For more information on AKD, visit their website at:
https://alphakappadelta.org/

04/17/2026

✨ Research in the Carroll College Sociology Department ✨

👉 Recently, Dr. Bourdon presented at the Sister Annette Moran Faculty Colloquium about her past research and discussed how it informs her current project with students!

🌏 Her work has focused on ideas of credibility and standing in social movements and the gun debate. In her current project, she is working with several student research assistants to investigate how a local grassroots movement builds collective identity while responding to criticism and contradictory viewpoints.

💜 We love Dr. Bourdon, her curiosity, and her excitement in including our students in furthering research in this field!

04/07/2026

🌏 Ready to explore the world through a sociological lens? 🌍

✨ Join SO-101: Introduction to Sociology and dive into topics like race, inequality, power, & identity

🗓 July 20 – August 7

💻 Online & Asynchronous

👉 Enroll now!

04/02/2026

💛 Your voice matters 💛

🫂 Please join us in creating a space to listen, support, and stand together as stories are shared and heard.

12th annual We Too Speak Out event
April 9th • 5:00 PM • Campus Center

**Please note that this event is only open to the Carroll community. Thank you.

03/30/2026

🔎 What drives someone to become a serial killer?

This summer, dive into one of the most fascinating (and unsettling) topics in sociology with SO-289: Serial Killers

🧠 Explore questions like:
- What defines serial murder?
- What traits do serial killers & their victims share?
- How do biology, psychology, & sociology shape violent behavior?
- How does the media influence our understanding of crime?

🗓 June 8th -- June 26th
💻 Online, Asynchronous
📚 Dr. Kaylin Bourdon

This course is perfect for students curious about criminology, the biopsychosocial model, & the darker side of human behavior.

👉 Register now!

01/28/2026

✨ Student Spotlight!

👋 Meet Senior Olivia Richardson!

📚 Major: Sociology, Minor: Communication Studies

🏠 Hometown: East Helena, Montana

"I chose Carroll because of the great Sociology program I had heard about prior to enrollment when I was still at Helena College for my first 2 years. It's also close to home, and I am a huge family-oriented person. My plan after graduation is to attend graduate school to earn my Master of Social Work.
I was a part of CSA and also participated in nearly every activity that was offered. I did my senior research on 'how counseling modality impacts sense of self' in which I interviewed 6 counselors who did online, in-person, or both modalities of counseling and learned about the differences they and their clients experienced.
I would like to recognize Dr. Dolan and Dr. Bourdon for leaving a permanent positive impact on me here at Carroll. Dr Dolan is my advisor and has helped me through a lot - education and personal issues. She is very kind and has shown she really cares about me. Dr. Bourdon is amazing. She is incredibly kind as well, and is only a few years older than me so I see her as a role model when it comes to being successful in my career. She is always available for help and has a huge heart.
My advice for current students would be to make sure you have a school-life balance. Your educational career and outside life should be seen as equally important. Practice self care, go outside, hang out with family or friends, do nothing for a bit. We live in such a hustle culture that I feel it is important for me to encourage that you should absolutely take time for yourself and for fun."

🎉 Congratulations, Liv! We hope you enjoy your final semester at Carroll!

01/16/2026

📣 Event Alert 📣

In observance of MLK Jr. Day (no classes Monday), the Sociology Program and the Master of Social Work Program invite you to a campus screening and discussion of Freedom Riders.

🎬 Watch & Discuss: Freedom Riders
📅 Tuesday, January 20
⏰ 5:00 PM
📍 Library Sage Room
🍿 Free Snacks