John Girdwood, MSA

6419 Beecher Rd., Flint MI 48532

Phone # 1-77-Girdwood or email john@johngirdwood.com

Statement of Purpose

I believe that the sociological study of the human life course is vital to developing solid practical application methods that lend alternative disciplinary insight to research projects in a wide variety of fields.  I conduct research ranging from thoughts on increasing diversity in K-12 classrooms (early childhood education) to an analysis of public benefits enrollment among the elderly in America.  I also study principles of non-profit management that allow me provide consultant services to the non-profit sector including maintaining active involvement as President of the OMIA Foundation, an organization that “enhances the lives of students by expanding the scope of education” through outside movement inside academics.  It is my pleasure to provide you with access to a solid foundation of research.  I encourage you to continue your chosen disciplinary studies and consider further opportunities for progress especially those areas relating to Sociology.  Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can be of further service to you.

Academic Performance

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 in the Media
  • Performance: 3.57 GPA (Updated January 2011)
  • Courses:
    • Methods of Social Inquiry – Dr. Thomas Conner (Stanford)
    • Special Topics in Sociological Methodology and Qualitative Field Research – Dr. S. Gold(Univ of California at Berkeley)
      • Prepared and conducted a qualitative study
      • Collaborated with principle investigator (PI)
      • Project involved human subjects (approved by IRB)
    • Global Transformations and Structural Inequality – Dr. X. Ren (Univ of Chicago)
    • Contemporary Sociological Research on Family – Dr. Z. Zhang (Penn State Univ)
    • Analysis of Social Data I and II – Dr. H. Liu (Univ of Texas at Austin)
    • Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory – Dr. S. Chaudhuri (Vanderbilt) and Dr. A. Montgomery (Univ of California at Berkeley)
    • Psychosocial Aspects of Physical Activity – Dr. D. Gould (Univ of Illinois)
    • Online Research Design – Dr. H. Li (Michigan St Univ)
    • Communication, Media, and Society – Dr. T. Hove (Univ of Wisconsin at Madison)
    • African American Families – Dr. Julia R. Miller Dean of the College of Human Ecology (Post-Doctoral Study, Harvard University; Ph.D., University of Maryland; M.Ed., University of Illinois; B.S., Hampton University)
• Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI
  • Master of Public Administration, May 2008
  • Concentration: Non-Profit Management
  • Graduated: 3.82 GPA
  • Master’s Thesis: Some Eligible People Actually Are Too Proud To Beg: Recommendations for Increasing Food Stamp Participation of Eligible
• Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
  • Bachelor of Arts, April 2002
  • Major: Philosophy (Adviser: Dr. A. Falk- Yale)
    • Concentration: Professional Ethics
  • Major: Comparative Religion (Adviser: Dr. R. Siebert – Johannes Gutenberg Universität)

Teaching Experience

• Sociology of Family (Invited Summer 2010)
• Family and Society (Expected Summer 2011)
• Sociology of Work (Expected Summer 2011)
• Sociology of Sports (Expected Summer 2011)
• Youth and Society (Expected Summer 2011)
• Political Sociology (Expected Summer 2011)
• Contemporary Communities (Expected Summer 2011)
• Sociology of Mass Communication (Expected Fall 2011)
• Social Problems (Expected Fall 2011)
• Sociology of Healthcare Systems (Expected Spring 2012)

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
• 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

Associations

• Academic
  • American Sociological Association
    • Journals Received: ASR and Teaching Sociology
    • Sections: Teaching and Learning; Family; Aging and the Life Course; Culture; Children and Youth; Ethnomethodology and Conversational Analysis; Altruism and Social Solidarity (leaflet)
  • Michigan Sociological Association
  • Society for the Study of Social Problems

Professional Experience

Public Speaking/Presentations

• 2010 June: 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
• 2010 October 24: 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

Associations

• Professional
  • Michigan Hospice Volunteer Coordinators Association [MHPCO]
  • The Society for the Arts in Healthcare
  • Michigan Council of Directors of Volunteer Services
  • Hospice Volunteer Association

Work History

• 2008 Apr – Present
• McLaren Visiting Nurse and Hospice, Davison, MI
• Coordinator of Volunteer Services
  • Manage project staff activities and provide team oversight for assigned projects
  • Supervise day-to-day activities of specific collaborative projects
  • Complete initial volunteer assessments through direct patient contact
  • Directly involved in fund raising for hospice
  • Coordinate yearly “Camp Forget-Me-Not” grief camp for children ages 6 – 14 years
  • Plan, develop, and implement every facet of volunteer program
  • Recruit, select, train, and assign volunteers
  • Participate in interdisciplinary hospice team
  • Function as part of community and education activities related to volunteer services
  • Maintain records, draft reports, and manage documentation connected to all duties
• 2008 Apr – Present (Volunteer)
• 2006 Jun – 2008 Apr (Employed)
• Michigan’s Coordinated Access to Food for the Elderly, Lansing, MI
• Call Center Operations | Volunteer Application Assistant
  • Public speaking : host trainings; give presentations to community; complete FAP applications for seniors in poverty; manage scheduling and set-up for program events
  • Intra-office collaboration : develop web site and maintain technical support for MiCAFE and Elder Law of Michigan, Inc.; work with outside consulting firm to compile data and reports; collaborate with LHMS attorneys to manage and lead a team of student interns
  • Clerical : answer phones; draft letters for program director; coordinate volunteer training; mail marketing supplies; place orders; develop outreach material
• 2005 July – 2008 April
• Michigan House of Representatives, Lansing, MI
• Part-time Support
  • Team environment : assisted scheduler, constituent affairs staff member, legislative liaison, and Representative individually and collaboratively to complete tasks
  • Clerical : conducted hard copy and electronic document filing; email and letter responses drafted for Representative to approve and sign; answered phones and greet visitors; undertook many random tasks
• 2005 Aug – 2006 Jun
  • Elder Law of Michigan, Inc., Lansing, MI
  • Legal Intern and Coordinator of Volunteers and Panel Attorneys
• 2005 Aug – 2005 Nov
  • State of Michigan Attorney General
  • Charitable Trust Division, Lansing, MI
  • Student Assistant specializing in data entry & charitable solicitation licensing
• 1997 Aug – 1999 Jan
  • State of Michigan HIV/AIDS Prevention and Intervention Services
  • Department of Community Health, Lansing, MI
  • Student Assistant specializing in data entry & disease prevention

Professional Conferences Attended

• 2010 Volunteer Match Non-Profit Webinars
  • 5/18/10 Single Days of Service: Make It Work
  • 5/25/10 Managing Difficult Volunteer Transitions
  • 5/27/10 Best Practices for Recruiting Online
  • 6/15/10 Making Volunteer Engagement Everyone’s Job
  • 6/22/10 Social Media and Volunteer Engagement
  • 7/15/10 Engaging Pro Bono and Skilled Volunteers
  • 7/22/10 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
  • 3/6/08 Supervision, Evaluation, and Recognition
  • 2/21/08 Marketing, Recruitment, Orientation, & Training
  • 2/12/08 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

Skills

• Web development (HTML, CSS, Adobe CS, Graphic Design)
• Attention to detail (grammar and spelling; APA format)
• Provide support to any office setting regarding Microsoft and/or Google applications (forever the office “computer guy”)

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
• Season ticket holder, MSU Football, since 2008
• Board Member, Regional Representative, Michigan Hospice Volunteer Coordinators Association
• 2010 Community Welcome Team Volunteer at Michigan State University (Department of Residence Life)