Meet Samantha Nousak, a Mary Ann Stephens & John R. Graham Award for Excellence in Graduate Research & Scholarship recipient. Samantha is a Ph.D. student majoring in Sociology.
Please give a short overview of your research:
My research focuses on how social conditions impact our health conceptualizations and outcomes. Currently, my dissertation explores how socio-economic status functions as a fundamental cause of holistic mental health; in the future, I plan to turn to how economic demands shape our definitions of being "healthy" and the gap between that definition and true wellness.
What made you choose to pursue your graduate degree here at Kent State?
KSU not only had excellent faculty to work with, but provided the best support for graduate students in my subfield.
What do you enjoy most about attending Kent State for graduate school?
KSU's sociology department is incredibly supportive of graduate students. Our faculty/staff have gone above and beyond in making sure graduate students have the support we need to succeed and continue our professional agendas. This is a stressful process, but being here, I'm able to make the most of my time and energy while connecting with incredible scholars!
What are your future goals?
I greatly look forward to graduating next year and being able to move on to my major professional goals: innovating teaching strategies, advocating for a more critical view of health and wellness, and making academia as accessible as possible.
What does this award mean to you and how will it aid you?
Going through graduate school while managing severe chronic illnesses has been the greatest challenge of my life. The Mary Ann Stephens and John R. Graham Award is a great motivator to help me finish out my last year of doctoral research--and the monetary aid helps make spending this summer on my dissertation and other publications possible.