Featured Graduate Student, October 2008
Eileen Weigand

Interview:

What is your primary motivation for persevering through graduate school?
The primary motivation for persevering through graduate school has been the desire to bring Environmental Sociology to the forefront of academia as well as to the general public. How we interact with nature will be a deciding factor in our very survival.

Did your past experiences in life or education help prepare you for graduate school or did you have to develop different strategies to succeed?
I was an uninterested undergrad who did all of the "bad" things that first year, so I can relate to a lot of my students. I was and am so eager to be in this environment, as it was different from what I had envisioned for my life. I have had to cope with differing levels of age concerns and health concerns in order to cope overall.

What is your favorite stress-reduction technique?
Running, creating art - painting, drawing, and collage, as well as yoga, hanging out with friends(especially Efua), and being with my partner Eric and dog Aiko.

Please describe your most meaningful academic relationship.
Eileen Crist has been so supportive of me and I am so grateful to have found her! Kwame Harrison, Carol Bailey, Dale Wimberley and Skip Fuhrman have all been behind me as well. I am very thankful to have them as my committee here at Tech.

What accomplishment (academic or other) are you most proud of?
I was really proud of winning the Sociology Graduate Teaching Award last year. I am also proud of my adjusting to being a person with diabetes - it hasn't been an easy thing.

What are your aspirations upon graduation?
I look forward to working in academia, teaching and writing for both academics and the public at large. One day I would love to own a home in a valley with a barn and lots of adopted/rescued animals.

What do you feel is the greatest challenge that graduate students face and how have you dealt with this challenge?
Stress management is the greatest challenge graduate students face in my opinion. Taking care of oneself requires a good deal of time that graduate students often feel they do not have.

Describe your favorite childhood toy and what age you were when it first charmed you.
I really loved my Madame Alexandria doll, Noel was her name. I was such a good "Mommy" at age 6 or so that I locked her in my bedroom in her cradle to take a nap. (I liked to pop out of my room for naps a lot as a kid. )

What surprised you the most about graduate school?
How friendly the Sociology students in my program have been has been a pleasant surprise to me. In a lot of schools students are horribly competitive with one another and they don't get along at all. I feel lucky to have been a part of this overall group who are so warm and engaging.

How do you find balance between work, play, and your other non-academic responsibilities?
I often schedule exercise in the mornings of days I do not have to be on campus which helps. I also reach out often to friends to make times to enjoy their company which helps to balance everything.

View previous Featured Graduate Student interviews >>

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Currently enrolled VT graduate students can be nominated for a variety of reasons -- academic or personal accomplishments, service to the department or the university community, or any other reason that makes them a unique and valuable member of academe. Students, faculty, or staff can submit nominations by completing a short nomination form.