Dr. Wendy Fuller

My graduate work in the Sociology Department at Maynooth University gave me more than just an expertise in fields like social psychology, gender, globalization and education. It gave me the tools that I would need to explore the social world in a rigorous and sound way, enabling me to conduct research which stands up to international scrutiny. It also afforded me with the opportunity to learn how to teach at the university level through both Professional Certificates in Teaching and Learning and the chance to instruct classes throughout the four years of my doctoral work. It was in these opportunities, to simultaneously be a scholar and a teacher, where I found my calling. I loved this lifestyle of learning, growing and giving back to others so much that I decided never leave this kind of environment!

Completing my PhD in the Sociology Department at Maynooth University helped me to become a lecturer at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont, the oldest private military university in the US. The skills I learned during my time with the Sociology Department have played a huge role not just in getting me this job in the first place, but in helping me to engage positively with the radically different environment of a military institution and also to easily find countless things I want to do research on while I’m here. Sociology is a flexible and dynamic discipline which enables us to become critical, conscientious, and incisive thinkers. I’m glad that my time at Maynooth University is enabling me now to teach these skills to the people who often become the decision makers of tomorrow. (Dr. Wendy Fuller)