We are so excited to have two new Graduate Fellows joining us at the Program for Society and the Environment this semester. Amanda Dewey and Mary DeStefano are first year PhD students in the Department of Sociology at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Amanda Dewey
 | Amanda Dewey is a doctoral student in the Department of Sociology at the University of Maryland – College Park and a Graduate Fellow at the Program for Society and the Environment. Her research interests include environmental stewardship, environmental attitudes and values, and human-wildlife relationships. |
What are your prior degrees?
I received my BA in Sociology and Theatre from Vanderbilt University in 2013
What brought you to the Sociology Department at the University of Maryland?
After working for two years as an organizer for an environmental NGO, I realized that I wanted to pursue a career as a sociologist, studying the ways that humans relate to their environment and to other species. I was actually drawn to the University of Maryland because of The Program for Society and the Environment and its great interdisciplinary work on society and the natural environment.
When thinking about "Society and the Environment," what are the issues that interest you most?
When I think about society and the environment, the issues that interest me most are the global loss of biodiversity and climate change. Specifically, this includes values and attitudes around wildlife and wild places, environmental stewardship and ownership, and activism.
When you aren't studying sociology, what do you like to do for fun?
Outside of sociology, I love spending time with my dog, Remy, seeing plays, and spending time outdoors!
I received my BA in Sociology and Theatre from Vanderbilt University in 2013
What brought you to the Sociology Department at the University of Maryland?
After working for two years as an organizer for an environmental NGO, I realized that I wanted to pursue a career as a sociologist, studying the ways that humans relate to their environment and to other species. I was actually drawn to the University of Maryland because of The Program for Society and the Environment and its great interdisciplinary work on society and the natural environment.
When thinking about "Society and the Environment," what are the issues that interest you most?
When I think about society and the environment, the issues that interest me most are the global loss of biodiversity and climate change. Specifically, this includes values and attitudes around wildlife and wild places, environmental stewardship and ownership, and activism.
When you aren't studying sociology, what do you like to do for fun?
Outside of sociology, I love spending time with my dog, Remy, seeing plays, and spending time outdoors!
Mary Destefano
 | Mary DeStefano is a first-year doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Maryland. Her areas of interest include environmental sociology, urban sociology, health, and inequality. She intends to study how the physical environment impacts the health of low-income and minority communities, particularly looking at the built environment, violence and public safety, and food security. She is also interested in people’s feelings toward nature in these communities, and the social and political conflicts that arise when discussing/prioritizing nature, particularly in places that have limited space and resources. Prior to pursuing her PhD, Mary worked at the Police Foundation, a non-profit based in Washington, DC and was a Community Planning Fellow for the City of New York. She has a Masters in Urban Planning from Hunter College and a BA from Yale University. |
What are your prior degrees?
BA from Yale University. Majored in Art (concentration: Painting), Graduated 2005
Masters in Urban Planning, from Hunter College, CUNY, NYC, concentration: Planning and Social Equity, graduated 2012
What brought you to the Sociology Department at the University of Maryland?
In my search for a PhD program it was very important to me that there be an emphasis on the environment - I have a masters in urban planning, and wanted to continue emphasizing physical space in my studies. When I visited UMD everyone was incredibly warm and knowledgeable, and Dana Fisher convinced me that University of Maryland's Sociology department was the right place for me.
When thinking about "Society and the Environment," what are the issues that interest you most?
I am most interested in the interface between people and the built environment. Particularly, I'm interested in how certain elements of the physical environment can ameliorate or exacerbate poverty and the health risks associated with poverty. In the past I've looked at crime (CPTED), food security, and sustainability efforts on the local government level. I would like to continue to study these areas, while definitely digging in much more deeply.
When you aren't studying sociology, what do you like to do for fun?
I love to spend time with people -- my fiancé, family, and friends -- usually over a home cooked meal and a glass or two of wine. I also make a lot of art. I am a classically trained painter, and I draw and paint, and spend a lot of time going to look at art. Besides this, I love being outside and in nature. In DC, I often concede to just being on my roof and by the pool (which I'm definitely not complaining about!), but in general I would like to be in the woods!
BA from Yale University. Majored in Art (concentration: Painting), Graduated 2005
Masters in Urban Planning, from Hunter College, CUNY, NYC, concentration: Planning and Social Equity, graduated 2012
What brought you to the Sociology Department at the University of Maryland?
In my search for a PhD program it was very important to me that there be an emphasis on the environment - I have a masters in urban planning, and wanted to continue emphasizing physical space in my studies. When I visited UMD everyone was incredibly warm and knowledgeable, and Dana Fisher convinced me that University of Maryland's Sociology department was the right place for me.
When thinking about "Society and the Environment," what are the issues that interest you most?
I am most interested in the interface between people and the built environment. Particularly, I'm interested in how certain elements of the physical environment can ameliorate or exacerbate poverty and the health risks associated with poverty. In the past I've looked at crime (CPTED), food security, and sustainability efforts on the local government level. I would like to continue to study these areas, while definitely digging in much more deeply.
When you aren't studying sociology, what do you like to do for fun?
I love to spend time with people -- my fiancé, family, and friends -- usually over a home cooked meal and a glass or two of wine. I also make a lot of art. I am a classically trained painter, and I draw and paint, and spend a lot of time going to look at art. Besides this, I love being outside and in nature. In DC, I often concede to just being on my roof and by the pool (which I'm definitely not complaining about!), but in general I would like to be in the woods!
RSS Feed