Continuing the COLUMNS Professor Interview series, student writer Quinn Arzt sat down with Dr. Julia Miller of the Sociology Department. Here at Fairmont State University, we are lucky to have such amazing and supportive professors on staff who are here to assist students with their academic and personal journeys. These professors, in their time teaching classes and working with students, rarely get the chance to talk about the research and experiences that have shaped their academic careers. Over the second half of the Fall 2024 semester, the Professor Interviews series COLUMNS providing them with the opportunity to share their stories and advice with students.
Dr. Julia Miller is an academically driven and approachable professor in the College of Liberal Arts’ Behavioral Sciences Program. In 2015, Dr. Miller earned a double major in Sociology and Psychology with a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Ohio University, her Master’s in Sociology in 2017 from the University of Kentucky, and her PhD in Sociology from the University of Kentucky in 2023. She will be teaching multiple Sociology classes in the Spring 2025 semester, from freshman to senior undergraduate levels, including Intro to Sociology, Sociology Research Capstone, Sociological Theory, and Careers in Sociology. Dr. Miller is highly involved on campus, in both student and faculty organizations. She is a faculty co-advisor of Falcons with Pride and the founding advisor for the new Sociology Club that just started this semester. Dr. Miller also serves on the strategic planning process committee, as a co-chair of the Common Book committee, and as a member of the curriculum committee.
As someone who specializes in research-driven sociology, Dr. Julia Miller has extensive experience in research methods. For her PhD, she explored the social and political impacts of school consolidation in rural communities, focusing on case studies like Appalachia and Ohio, to support her broader thesis, “How Are Rural People Marginalized in Politics?” Dr. Miller analyzed how local politics can come to represent the interests of those with more power in their community, such as how wealthier urban areas are more likely to have their interests and voices represented in local politics than the poorer, working-class communities of the region. This was her favorite research topic, and Dr. Miller encourages anyone considering graduate school to pick a topic you truly enjoy. Balance your topic between what is feasible and what you care about so you can analyze a thesis you will not lose interest in while conducting productive research.
When asked why someone should study Sociology, Dr. Julia Miller stated, “There is sociology to everything!”. Sociology encourages people to think about problems from an institutional perspective rather than just the result of “malevolent” people in the institutions. In Sociology, it is important to ask the question “how have we organized to society to allow the problems to persist?” You can’t always fix issues by replacing the person causing the problem, which is just a surface level fix. If the institution is organized to allow the issue, then someone else will take their place to cause the same problems. Sociology is relevant to everyone; all majors and fields can be related to sociology in some way. Embracing different way to understand and solve problems, learning how to understand others across differences, promoting cultural awareness and ways you can live your life can make you a more well-rounded person and give you context to the world around you.
As a recent recipient of her PhD, much of this interview focused on graduate school and the path to becoming a professor. Dr. Miller had many influences on her journey to becoming a professor. The passion for research that her Women and Gender Studies Capstone professor had resonated with her desire to make real change through her research. Before entering her graduate program, Dr. Miller wanted to be a child psychologist but changed her focus in her senior undergraduate year to sociological research so she could pursue change-oriented work. Being a professor is not easy, and Dr. Miller has advice for those who want to join the academic field. She encourages students to talk with their current professors about what skills are marketable in their specific degree, to do their research, and to understand which areas in their field are growing and develop the skills needed in that market. Choosing a graduate school that balances rigor with support is something Dr. Miller credits as key to her success. Balancing high quality with supportive faculty and peers was instrumental in her becoming the professor she is today. Once you are in graduate school, collaborate and work together with your peers rather than being overly competitive, or you may get burned out.
For graduate school, stay open-minded about your future. Look into all sorts of programs, and work to get into a school that is a good fit. Good grades and high test scores are not everything when you apply to your master’s or PhD programs; make yourself stand out. Universities are searching for people who are a good fit for the program and are well-rounded, experienced individuals. You can get into graduate school even if you do not have a 4.0 grade point average (GPA) if you align with the program’s focus and have enough experience. Seek a program that is a good fit for you—one that matches your interests or subfield within your main focus. For her last piece of advice, Dr. Miller encourages prospective students to seek programs that offer full funding if available in their field. Many programs will pay for your tuition and provide a stipend if you teach, so you can spend as much time as possible on your studies. A special thank you to Dr. Julia Miller for her time and insight, and she wishes you the best of luck in your application process.
