Academic Resources

Departmental Writing Fellow

The Sociology Departmental Writing Fellow (DWF) is a graduate student in the department who is here to help students with all aspects of writing. The DWF assists anyone taking a sociology course--concentrators, freshmen, and students from other concentrations.  As part of a sociology course, students will be writing a variety of papers (such as weekly reflections, research proposals, senior theses and many others), that draw on course materials and concepts and follow the conventions of sociological argument and writing, which can be quite different from other writing conventions in other academic disciplines. 

Click here to learn more about our DWF and to schedule an appointment.

Qualitative and Quantitative Advisors

The Qualitative and Quantitative Advisors are Sociology PhD students who can assist Sociology concentrators and students taking Sociology courses. If you would like help with coursework or assistance with research design reach out the the department's Qualitative or Quantitative Advisor to schedule an appointment.

Qualitative Advisor - Hannah Castner

Email: hcastner@g.harvard.edu
Schedule an Appointment

Hannah Castner is a PhD student in the Department of Sociology. She studies how politics and culture shape and reproduce inequality, particularly within U.S. education systems. She is interested in how parents, teachers, politicians, and administrators lay claim to education curricula and systems and the consequences of these assertions.

Quantitative Advisor - Jen-Chen Chao

Email: jenchenchao@fas.harvard.edu
Schedule an Appointment

Jen-Chen Chao is a PhD student in the Department of Sociology and a Doctoral Trainee at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies. He primarily uses large-scale data and quantitative methods to study economic inequality, with a focus on the roles of education, the labor market, and demographic changes. In his current project, Jen-Chen is studying how the strength of school-to-work linkages shapes the equalizing power of a college degree. 

Academic Resource Center

The Academic Resource Center (ARC) at Harvard University exists to support the academic mission of Harvard College and the GSAS by ensuring every student has full access to the transformative power of a liberal arts and sciences education. The ARC is committed to empowering students to reach their full academic potential in an inclusive and equitable academic environment. Using evidence-based methods and drawing on recent research in learning assistance, the ARC supports Harvard’s students in developing reading strategies, time management skills, and metacognitive approaches to learning. Students will have access to consultations, workshops, academic coaching, peer tutoring, and skills-based resources.