Hometown: Rock Island, IL
Future plans: Open a community center and dance studio
The University of Illinois Springfield has always felt like home to Duane Willingham II. Now, he’s helping new students make the transition from high school to college. This summer, the Sociology/Anthropology major worked as a Student Orientation Coordinator, helping incoming freshmen learn about UIS and get ready for the school year. On campus, Willingham is the president of the Voices in Praise Gospel Choir and a member of the Christian Student Fellowship and the Black Male Collegiate Society.
SOA Faculty presented at the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association in Washington D.C., Nov. 29 – Dec. 3, 2017. SOA faculty members Sharon Graf and Lynn Fisher presented papers at the annual AAA meeting. Dr. Graf discussed her new research on tourism and cultural performance in Polynesia, and Dr. Fisher spoke as part of a panel on teaching about “race” in the anthropology curriculum.
SOA faculty member Tiffani Saunders received the Star Staff / Faculty award at the 10th Annual Good as Gold Volunteer Awards Ceremony, April 23,
Many SOA students take advantage of the UIS Applied Study Term and Experiential Learning programs—these internships for credit offer a chance to get work experience and apply insights from classwork. SOA majors have been interns for many state agencies, educational institutions, non-profits, and other workplaces in the Springfield area.
To learn more, talk to your advisor or go to the office of Internships and Prior Learning.
Student Research in SOA
One of the greatest advantages of majoring in SOA is the opportunity to do research in your field and to develop and practice research and analytical thinking skills that are vital to many 21st century career paths. UIS students in the SOA program have worked on independent and collaborative projects in archaeology, anthropology, and sociology both locally and abroad.
There are many ways that students can get involved in Sociology/Anthropology!
SOA Student Representative
All matters concerning the SOA curriculum, student requirements, faculty members’ promotion and tenure decisions, and allocation of the budget are based on decisions of the SOA Program Committee, composed of the faculty and a student representative. The student representative, elected early in the fall semester of each year, participates with faculty in program decisions.
UIS graduates with the SOA B.A. degree are employed in a wide range of careers in business, government, teaching, public service organizations, and research. Research careers in the disciplines of sociology or anthropology usually require advanced degrees at the M.A. or Ph.D. level.
Past SOA majors have gone on to graduate schools all around the nation and have received M.A.s or Ph.D.s in sociology, anthropology, and in a variety of other fields.