John Girdwood

6419 Beecher Rd., Flint MI 48532
Phone # 1-774-473-9663 or email 77girdwood@gmail.com
or Skype “johngirdwood.com”

Educational History

Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 

• PhD in Sociology, expected graduation 2014
• Concentration: Health & Well Being, Aging and the Life Course
• Focus: Sociology of Sport
• Performance: 3.6470 GPA (Updated January 2013)

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 

• 2011 Summer Institute in Survey Research Techniques
  • Introduction to Applied Questionnaire Design (1 credit)
  • Surveys and Program Evaluations in Industry, Business and Heathcare (Morrel-Samuels) (1.5 credits)
• Performance: Audited certificate program; no GPA or transcript

Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI 

• 2008 Master of Public Administration
• Concentration: Non-Profit Management
• Graduated: 3.82 GPA 

Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 

• 2002 Bachelor of Arts, April 2002
• Major: Philosophy; Concentration: Professional and Applied Ethics
• Double Major: Comparative Religion

Teaching Experience

Institutions include: University of Michigan in Flint (UofM), Michigan State University (MSU), Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU), and Delta College

• SOC111 Introduction to Sociology (SVSU)
• SOC112 Introduction to Anthropology (SVSU)
• SOC211 Principles of Sociology (Delta)
• SOC280 Global Cultures (SVSU)
• SOC315 Family and Society (MSU)
• SOC331 Population (SVSU)
• SOC354 Sociology of Families (UofM)
• ISS210 Society and the Individual (MSU)
  • Topic: Technology & Society (Spring 2010, Substitute TA)
• Also available to teach:
  • Sociology of Work
  • Sociology of Sports
  • Youth and Society
  • Political Sociology
  • Contemporary Communities
  • Sociology of Mass Communication
  • Social Problems
  • Sociology of Healthcare Systems

Film Credits

• Our Dreams (2012)
  • Full length feature film produced in 2012 to give perspective on youth and sports in deindustrialized cities like Flint, Lansing, and Detroit
  • A guide for research that will analyze the future of Flint/Lansing/Detroit in the post-industrial era (after the factories have left)
  • Credits: Writer, Producer, and Videographer
  • Film is on Amazon and imdb.com

Papers

• Girdwood, J. (2010). Changing media platforms that shape identities: A new look at sports commentary. Michigan State University
• Girdwood, J. (2010). Young Athletes as Entrepreneurs in Deindustrialized Cities. Michigan State University
• Girdwood, J. (2010). A Basic Application of STATA to the Study of Sports Sociology. Michigan State University
• Girdwood, J. (2010). Racism in sports: How athletes’ descriptions of self might align with those of mass media
• Girdwood, J. (2009). The Influence of Paternal Relationships on the Development of Athletic Male Offspring. Michigan State University
• Girdwood, J. (2009). Discovering Inconspicuous Exploitation: Applying the Theories of W. E. B. DuBois to American Sports Sociology. Michigan State University
• Girdwood, J. (2009). Challenging Traditional Gate-Keeping Power & Control: How New Media Transcended Conventional Mass Media Roles. Michigan State University
• Girdwood, J. (2008). Some Eligible People Actually Are Too Proud To Beg: Recommendations for Increasing Food Stamp Participation of Eligible Households, Central Michigan University. Central Michigan University
• Girdwood, J. (2007). Bringing Outside Music Inside Michigan’s K-12 Classrooms: A Foundation to Increase Diversity. Central Michigan University
• Girdwood, J. (2007). Taking A Non-Profit From Incorporation To Sustainability: How Leadership Applied to the Formation, Planning and Initial Operating Stage of The OMIA Foundation. Central Michigan University
• Girdwood, J. (2007). A Strategice Plan to Diversify Public Education Through the Michigan Department of Education. Central Michigan University

Public Speaking/Presentations

• 2011 Michigan Hospice Volunteer Coordinators Association, Roscommon, MI
  • Presentation Title – “Inside & Out: Leading a Team from Both Sides”
• 2011 Visiting Nurse Association of America, Baltimore, MD
  • Presentation Title – “Top Down of Bottoms Up? Creating an Environment for Better Care”
• 2010 MHPCO Volunteer Symposium, Bay City, MI
  • Presentation Title – “Volunteer Participation: The Other Half of the Equation We Often Take for Granted“
  • Host: Michigan Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
  • Comments from audience [link here]
• 2010 National Bereavement Camp Conference, Cleveland, OH
  • Presentation Title – “Volunteer Participation: The Other Half of the Equation We Often Take for Granted“
  • Host – The Moyer Foundation

Awards and Associations

• Academic
  • Member: ALPHA KAPPA DELTA (AKD) Honor Society
  • American Sociological Association; Section Member: Family
  • Michigan Sociological Association
  • Society for the Study of Human Development
• Professional
  • Michigan Council of Directors of Volunteer Services
  • Hospice Volunteer Association
  • National Council of Hospice & Palliative Care Professionals

Professional Experience

Visiting Nurse Association and Blue Water Hospice; Port Huron, MI

• 2012 May – Present
• Coordinator of Volunteer Services
  • Report to the Chief Development Officer
  • Serve as agency webmaster

McLaren Visiting Nurse and Hospice; Davison, MI

• 2008 Apr – 2012 May
• Coordinator of Volunteer Services
  • Appointed three members to the Board of Directors
  • Primarily raised funds for non-profit hospice
  • Assisted with the establishment of $300,000 endowment
  • Organized yearly “Camp Forget-Me-Not” grief camp for grades K-12
  • Recruited and hired volunteer staff
  • Assessed needs through direct patient contact
  • Performed community and education activities
  • Maintained records, drafted reports, and managed documentation

Michigan’s Coordinated Access to Food for the Elderly, Lansing, MI

• 2008 Apr – 2011 (Volunteer)
• 2006 Jun – 2008 Apr (Employed)
• Call Center Operations | Volunteer Application Assistant
  • Public speaking, community training, public benefits applications for seniors in poverty
  • State of Michigan database management and agency web site development

Michigan House of Representatives, Lansing, MI

• 2005 July – 2008 April
• Part-time support; constituent affairs

Elder Law of Michigan, Inc., Lansing, MI

• 2005 Aug – 2006 Jun
• Legal Hotline for Michigan Seniors
• Coordinator of Volunteers and Panel Attorneys
• Legal Intern

Attorney General, State of Michigan, Lansing, MI

• 2005 Aug – 2005 Nov
• Charitable Trust Division, Lansing, MI
• Specialized in data entry & charitable solicitation licensing

Michigan Department of Community Health, Lansing, MI

• 1997 Aug – 1999 Jan
• HIV/AIDS Prevention and Intervention Services
• Managed database for risk factors and test results
• Conveyed data to Center for Disease Control for national reporting

Professional Conferences Attended

• 2010 Volunteer Match Non-Profit Webinars - Single Days of Service: Make It Work; Managing Difficult Volunteer Transitions; Best Practices for Recruiting Online; Making Volunteer Engagement Everyone’s Job; Social Media and Volunteer Engagement; Engaging Pro Bono and Skilled Volunteers; and Successful Volunteer Interview Strategies
• 2009 Michigan Hospice Volunteer Coordinators Association Annual Retreat focusing on the changes in Conditions of Participation
• 2008 Volunteer Management Training Series presented by the Capital Area United Way Volunteer Center: Understanding Volunteering & Planning a Volunteer Program
  • Recruiting and Placing Volunteers
  • Evaluating Volunteer Programs
  • Material focused on the Points of Light Foundation Volunteer Management Training Series
• 2008 Volunteer Management Seminar presented by the Volunteer Center of Greater Kalamazoo - Supervision, Evaluation, and Recognition; Marketing, Recruitment, Orientation, & Training; and Volunteer Program Planning: Writing Effective Job Descriptions
• 2008 Michigan Hospice Volunteer Coordinators Association Annual Retreat focusing on the new Conditions of Participation with Guest Speaker Penny Murphy, RN, CEO of Avalon Hospice
• 2006 New Vitality: Strategies to Grow Your Volunteer Program hosted by the Michigan Non-Profit Association

Extracurricular

• Participated in Toastmasters International and held position on local Board
• Volunteer as Chairman of the Board for the Non-Profit OMIA Foundation
• Michigan State University Department of Sociology Grievance Hearing Board
• Former Board Member, Regional Representative, Michigan Hospice Volunteer Coordinators Association
• 2010 Community Welcome Team Volunteer at Michigan State University (Department of Residence Life)
• Saginaw Valley State University Athletics Booster
• Season ticket holder and donor, MSU Football, since 2008