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

  • October 2015: Bridget Scott
    7/3/24
    Bridget’s fascination with “how the unique lives of individuals come together to form a society and, in return, how the society affects those individuals” led her to select sociology as her major. She feels that studying sociology at UB has led her to look at “everyday situations in a sociological way” and has helped her better “understand the world and people” around her.
  • May 2015: Zoe Bandes
    7/3/24
    Originally an occupational therapy major, Zoe decided to switch to Sociology because she enjoyed the challenge of learning to think critically about structural forces and the world around us. She says, “When I switched to sociology, I felt a world of difference in my level of interest and engagement for all of my classes.”
  • April 2015: Emily Schmid
    7/3/24
    Emily is a pre-med student whose experience in Medical Sociology led her to declare sociology as a major. She says, “I fell in love with the class realizing how useful the information I gained could be in my practice.” She says she switched her major from biology to sociology the day after she learned about the Department’s specialization in Health & Society.
  • March 2015: Olivia Frank
    7/3/24
    A junior, Olivia switched her major after her first sociology course. “I found myself glued to the substantive topics,” and says she spent a lot of time “discussing sociological ideas with my classmates outside of class and calling my family to tell them what I had learned in class that week.”
  • February 2015: Sarah Hussain
    7/3/24
    Sarah is working on an honors thesis related to medical sociology. She is passionate about understanding health inequalities and health disparities. Her research explores the perceptions of people from different sociodemographic backgrounds about several hot-button health issues, including prescription drug advertising and health care reform.
  • December 2014: Brandon Noga
    7/3/24
    Brandon is a recent transfer student to UB, and says that sociology is a “perfect fit” for him. He became a sociology major to help him “pursue a career that will allow me to interact with others, and help influence positive change” on the world around him.
  • November 2014: Alexandra Fuerch
    7/3/24
    Originally an accounting major, Alexandra switched to sociology to lay the foundation for a graduate degree in higher education. She hopes to help students further their education, be successful, and pursue their goals in life. She says that she loves how her Sociology classes relate to her everyday life: “I feel that I am not only learning information, but I am using that information,” she says. “I can use what I learn to better myself as a person and understand the world around me.”