Meet Our Students

Based on faculty and instructor nominations to the Undergraduate Studies Committee, the department chooses one undergraduate major  to feature in our monthly Sociology & Criminology Rising Star. This program recognizes the extraordinary achievements, accomplishments, and activities of our undergraduate students.

Current Rising Star:

  • Simone B.

    April 2025: Simone Brock

    Please congratulate Simone Brock, our newest Sociology & Criminology Rising Star! Simone was nominated based on their accomplishments as one of the leaders of the Buffalo Community Laboratory departmental club, and also because of stellar academic performance in their Sociology courses.

    When asked about their Sociology and Criminology classes, Simone stated: “Sociology and Criminology classes at UB have provided great insight into real world topics that many people acknowledge but don’t fully understand. I’ve most enjoyed connecting with faculty and learning about the many intersections that exist between specific courses.”

    Congratulations Simone, and thanks for all your great work!

Previous Rising Stars

  • May 2019: Joe Buttino
    7/3/24
    Joe admits he didn’t know much about Sociology before starting at UB and taking Sociology courses.  He says “I find the content incredibly relevant to understanding life more fully and how to address the most complicated problems faced by people of all ages.” Joe has been a particularly active member of the department community, serving as a research assistant, a CAS ambassador, and an officer in the Sociology Club.  This summer, Joe will attend the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association to present his research.
  • April 2019: Leah Barney
    7/3/24
    Leah says she chose to become a sociology major because, as a sociology major, “I have the ability to see beyond the surface of society and really begin to be critical of social life. Inequality has always been a concept of interest and sociology has really helped me expand that understanding.” Leah has particularly enjoyed her criminology coursework at UB because “We viewed content and subjects at hand in the sociological lens which was powerful in my opinion.”
  • March 2019: Mariama Fall
    7/3/24
    Mariama says she chose Sociology as her major because: “I’m very interested in how societies, and individuals in them, function as a living organism. I want to learn more about how different groups in societies interact with the institutions they live with on a daily basis.”
  • February 2019: Sara Gunkel
    7/3/24
    Sara started out as a Psychology major at UB but ultimately decided to add Sociology as a major. She describes her decision to doublemajor this way: “I found myself drawn to Sociology courses in my elective choices. With each successive class, my interest in the field grew. I began to feel a synergy between the things I was learning in Psychology and the wider application of many of those concepts to communities and human populations through Sociology. The questions that Sociology asks, the concepts that I learned and the research that I read drew me to the field.”
  • December 2018: Bryan Guevara
    7/3/24
    When asked why he became a sociology major, Bryan explained: “I am a sociology major because I am interested in the social justice problems that my community in Brooklyn, New York is experiencing, such as gentrification. Sociology is my way of understanding the reasons for and consequences of what my community is undergoing. It is through understanding that proper action can be taken.”
  • November 2018: Marc Duqueney
    7/3/24
    When asked why he became a sociology major, Marc says, “Because I am interested in the social world and how it interplays with individual decisions. Specifically, I am intrigued by how society influences black life in particular.” He goes on to explain, “For instance, I can better understand the relationship between race and criminalization and how those two concepts can be viewed through the lens of institutional discrimination.”
  • October 2018: Jeremy Carr
    7/3/24
    Jeremy chose sociology as a major because he has always been fascinated by society. He explains: “I was most interested in the many social problems that occur and I have always felt somewhat responsible for helping solve and change them.” He thinks his sociology courses have helped him “see outside of the box and see a society for what it is.”