Chad Michael McPherson

I received my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology from Augustana College (IL) in 1999. I was blessed at that juncture to find myself working in the social services, particularly in the field of addictions, working for C.A.D.S. in the Quad Cities. I progressed through the ranks from clinician to program manager, and in the process learned a lot about my focus and determination. My duties and responsibilities provided abundant experiential knowledge and insight into Drug Courts, national initiatives on treatment programming, mental health and the community response, treatment milieus and the dynamics of organizational management. My employer and mentors privileged me with significant and formal organizational responsibilities that provided me a well-rounded and real world understanding of contemporary social issues. Despite the relative status I had achieved, I found it imperative to seek further education and gain the skills necessary to examine social discourse, propose and affect change, and excite others to the field of sociology.

My research interests at this stage of my career are eclectic and include theory, qualitative methodology, criminology, social psychology and inequality.  I have high hopes that I will be able to link these sometimes opposing sociological spheres of inquiry as my graduate school career progresses.

When away from academia, my significant other, Tina, keeps me grounded, which I’m sure is a challenging endeavor. We love the Chicago Cubs and sports in general. I enjoy biking and the outdoors. We love to jam out to tunes and see shows whenever possible. Mostly, we relish the opportunity to spend time with our family, our friends and their children, colleagues and mentors.