Angela Gutierrez, a forth year Social Sciences major, was featured in UpMatters story titled “Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: First-generational Michigan Technological University students share their experience”.
On Friday, May 1st the Department of Social Sciences held a virtual commencement celebration honoring its 2019-20 graduates.
2020 Department of Social Sciences Graduation Celebration
“We are marking an important milestone in the lives of our graduates. Graduates, you are ending one phase of your formal education and beginning a new phase of your lives.”
Speakers
- President Richard Koubek
- Dean David Hemmer
- Dr. Mayra Sanchez Morgan
- Ph.D. Candidate Will Lytle
- Professor Emerita Dr. Carol A. Maclennan
Professor Mark Rhodes provided a musical interlude “Theme from Star Trek Voyager” on trumpet and recent anthropology graduate, Charles Fugate read the poem “In April” by Rainer Maria Rilke. Undergraduate awards were presented and the names of our graduates were read. The musical closing was provided by the Pep Band and Blizzard.
Congratulations to all. We wish you continued success.
“You persevered, and along the way you made a lasting imprint on our campus community.”

Social Sciences Graduates 2019-2020
Doctor of Philsophy
Erin Burkett, Environmental and Energy Policy, PhD
Brent J. Burns, Environmental and Energy Policy, PhD
Mayra Sanchez Morgan, Environmental and Energy Policy, PhD
Andrew Mueller, Industrial Heritage and Archaeology, PhD
Master of Science
Karuna Rana, Environmental and Energy Policy, MS
Sun Van Nguyen, Environmental and Energy Policy, MS
Michael Levi Ryan, Environmental and Energy Policy, MS
Azat Turegeldin, Environmental and Energy Policy, MS
Robert John Zupko, Environmental and Energy Policy, MS
Tyler D. Allen, Industrial Heritage and Archaeology, MS
Brendan J. Doucet, Industrial Heritage and Archaeology, MS
Josef Thomas Iwanicki, Industrial Heritage and Archaeology, MS
Bachelor of Science
Charles R. Fugate, BS Anthropology
Bridget E. Quesnell, BS Anthropology
Trenton X. Woodcox, BS Social Sciences -Law and Society
Jessica M. Berryman, BS Social Sciences -Law and Society
Catherine A. Carra, BS Social Sciences -Education
Jason D. Sutherland, BS Social Sciences-Education
Undergraduate Awards
Outstanding Senior Award
Jessica Berryman and Charles Fugate
Undergraduate Research Awards
Alannah M Woodring and Lynette S Webber
Community-Based Research Prize
Angela Gutierrez and Timothy Stone
Departmental Scholar 2020
Timothy Stone

The Department of Social Sciences announced its 2019-20 Undergraduate Research Awards.
- Outstanding Senior Award: Jessica Berryman and Charles Fugate
- Community-Base Research Prize: Angela Gutierrez and Timothy Stone
- Undergraduate Research Award: Alannah M. Woodring and Lynette S Webber
The students will be recognized at the Department of Social Sciences Class of 2019-20 Virtual Commencement Celebration on May 1. Congratulations for these extraordinary achievements.
The Department of Social Sciences recently announced three new undergraduate awards:
- The Outstanding Senior Award recognizes outstanding undergraduate achievement in accomplishments in academics, research, leadership, and/or service.
- Two Undergraduate Research Awards recognize SS Students — a Junior or Senior — who engender exemplary research as evidenced in original research, undergraduate thesis, or creative project under the guidance of department faculty members or other mentors. The awardees are recognized for research that is original and substantive given the standards of the discipline.
- The Community-Based Research Prize recognizes a Social Sciences Junior or Senior who is actively engaged in community-based research, a pillar of the department’s mission. The prize honor’s the student’s efforts to enhance community capacity, build relationships, and/or support community participation in research.