Dear Sociology Majors and Minors,

Happy February! I hope that you all are having a great start to your semester. The weather is warming up, and it looks like Spring is officially on its way! This week we have a ton of information to share with you. Reach out if you have any questions!

Upcoming Events & Programs

American PUblic Health Association Annual Meeting & Conference

For the APHA Annual Meeting 2024, the Spirit of 1848 Social Justice & Public Health Student Poster Session is issuing an OPEN CALL FOR ABSTRACTS for posters that highlight the intersections between social justice and public health from a historical, theoretical, epidemiological, ethnographic, and/or methodological perspective.

This session will have an OPEN CALL for submissions by students (undergraduate or graduate) that are focused on work linking issues of social justice and public health. This can include, but is not limited to, work concerned with the Spirit of 1848’s focus for APHA 2024 on “Believe it or not: critical trust building, trust busting & creating trustworthy public health science and practice.”

Per our Spirit of 1848 policy, we encourage submissions that bring a critical Indigenous lens, drawing on Indigenous theories, knowledge, and methods, to the specific topic that is the focus of this session, i.e., student posters on links between social justice & public health.

The submitted work can address one or more of many interlocking types of justice (e.g., racial, Indigenous, political and/or economic, gender and/or sexuality-related, environmental, restorative, etc.) We are interested in submissions not only from students in schools of public health and other health professions (e.g., nursing, medicine) but also from students in schools & programs focused on law, political science, public policy, social work, government, economics, sociology, urban planning, etc. For examples of abstracts selected in prior years, see our annual reportbacks.

Instructions for abstract submission can be found at the APHA abstract submission website.

Spring 2024 Gopher Grad Workshops
  • Feb 13, 3:30-5pm | Show Up and Write Your Personal Statement
    • Use this time to hold yourself accountable for writing your personal statement or applications to research programs. Plus, this is a great time to get your questions answered about the best way to write your statements! 
  • Mar 26, 3:30-5pm | Undergrad Student Research & Graduate School Prep Panel
    • Hear from fellow first-gen, Pell-eligible, and underrepresented undergraduate students about their experiences participating in research and preparing for graduate school
  • April 9, 3:30-5pm| Pursuing Graduate School as a Transfer or Community College Student
    • This workshop is geared towards students who have transferred colleges or are currently at a community college. Learn about the process of preparing for graduate school!

Sign-up for workshop reminders as they are announced. Click here to review our past sessions and resources.

2024 Health Professional School Expo

The Pre-Health Student Resource Center is looking forward to our 2024 Health Professional School Expo! Taking place in the Coffman Great Hall on Tuesday, March 26th from 12:00-3:00 p.m., the Expo gives pre-health students at the University of Minnesota the chance to network with admissions representatives from health professional schools and programs. Students can pre-register and learn more in Handshake.

Human rights Coffee Hours

We are the Human Rights Program Undergraduate Working Group. Our role as undergraduate, human rights students is to contribute directly to the design of the Human Rights Program and build community among human rights students. This spring, we are very excited to announce some of our many upcoming events, including our Human Rights Advocacy Workshop Series and our Human Rights Coffee Hours. 

Our Coffee Hours events are intended to allow all UMN students to get to know the HRP and the Working Group. Students can learn how to advocate for human rights, learn more about current events, and explore various academic and career human rights opportunities. We are hoping that you, along with other faculty, would promote these chats in your classes. They are biweekly, from 1-3 pm, at Bordertown Coffee. More details are provided on our social media and our flyers, but overall we hope that this can be an inviting, informal space for students to get to know each other and discuss human rights!

Employment, Internship, Research, & Leadership Opportunities

Undergrad Real Estate Team

It is time to form our Undergrad Real Estate team to prepare to compete in the 2024 NAIOP Real Estate Challenge 

The other participating Universities have Real Estate programs, but our scrappy teams tend to place in the top 3 each year and we’ve actually won twice! This competition relies on much time-sensitive hard work by the team in concert with the excellent coaches we have ( Susan Carlson Weinberg, Trevor Martinez and Greg Ewing).  We hope to have a small team with interests/skills in finance (excel spreadsheet and understanding RE Finance), RE Market conditions, architecture, In-Design, and technical writing.

If you are interested Please email me, pent0006@umn.edu 

Student WRiting support (2024-25)

Student Writing Support is hiring!

The Center for Writing’s Student Writing Support (SWS) program invites undergraduate students to apply to be writing consultants during the 2024–25 academic year. Writing consultants consult one-to-one with undergraduate and graduate writers from across the university to support them in developing confidence and effective writing strategies.

You don’t need to identify as a strong writer to apply! The Center looks for candidates who are curious learners and attentive listeners. Strong collaboration skills and attention to detail are also important. We’re interested in hiring people who are willing to have conversations with student writers and to develop ways to give feedback to writers on their work in progress.

One of the benefits of working as a writing consultant is that SWS provides robust professional development for staff. Besides the course that all new consultants take, we offer regular opportunities for learning and growing as consultants and as writers, all in community with one another.

Candidates from historically underrepresented or marginalized communities and identities are encouraged to apply. In addition, we welcome applications from students from all majors and all language backgrounds—especially students who are going to be sophomores or juniors during the 2024–25 school year.

Applications are due on Friday, Feb. 9, at 11:59 pm. The job will begin in Fall 2024. For more information about the position and how to apply for it, please visit http://z.umn.edu/swsjob.

Serve with College Possible and empower college opportunities for all!

As a College Possible AmeriCorps coach, you’ll help talented, driven students from under-represented backgrounds achieve their goal of a college degree. Employers seek out AmeriCorps service members because they bring hands-on skills in team leadership, facilitation, equity and inclusion, intercultural communication, data management and transferable industry expertise. Gain a head start for your career while making a profound difference. Thanks to the support they receive from their AmeriCorps coaches, College Possible students are three times more likely to complete a bachelor’s degree than their peers from similar backgrounds. Apply here or reach out to Pahoua Vang (pvang1@collegepossible.org) if you have any questions.

DUE 2/5 – NextGenPop applications for summer 2024 at Duke

NextGenPop is an undergraduate program in population research that aims to increase the diversity of the population field and nurture the next generation of population scholars. The program includes a 2-week, in-person, on-campus summer experience and subsequent virtual components focused on research and professional development. This summer 2024, 20 undergraduate students will be hosted by the Duke University Population Research Institute in Durham, NC, June 2 – 15. Participants receive a $1,000 stipend as well as funds to cover travel and living expenses. Classroom instruction and hands-on applications address contemporary social and policy issues in population research, including race and income inequalities, health disparities, immigration, and family change. For more information, please see our website and application page.

Resources & Other Opportunities

The School For International Training (SIT)

The Learning Abroad Center has reestablished our relationship with the School for International Training (SIT) as an affiliate partner.  SIT offers immersive undergraduate programs in all 7 continents focusing on a specific critical global issue such as global health, migration, social change, human rights, and sustainable development.  SIT programs emphasize field-based undergraduate research, homestays, and exposure to more than 25 languages.

Students can study abroad on any SIT semester or summer program. Take a look at these following programs: 

Affordable LSAT and GRE Prep

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities students are invited to take the affordable LSAT or GRE prep course offered by Campus Prep this winter and spring. You can apply for the live online courses (and see schedules, etc.) at campusprep.org.  It takes just 45 seconds to apply.  

The live online course, taught by an instructor you can interact with, preps you for the spring and summer test dates. The comprehensive, 27-hour course includes 3 practice exams and costs $285 ($235 if you qualify for aid).  

  • Payment plans are available. 
  • The course is taught by a high-scoring, expert instructor. 
  • Students who complete the course often get 9-point gains on the LSAT.      

 The courses fill up fast. Apply ASAP for the LSAT or GRE course at campusprep.org.

let’s Talk: Mental Health Resources for Students

Let’s Talk is a program through Student Counseling Services that provides informal virtual and in person drop-in consultations for U of M Twin Cities students (Graduate and Undergraduate) five days a week. No appointment is necessary, so you can drop in during the scheduled times. Let’s Talk is not a substitute for formal counseling and does not constitute mental health treatment, but counselors can listen to specific problems, provide support, help explore solutions and give information about other resources. 

You can check out the schedule and bios here. If you’re looking for more information or have any questions, please email Greg Sawyer (sawy0011@umn.edu)

That is All for Now!

Any Questions? Make an appointment or email us at socadvis@umn.edu