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Senter, Mary

EMERITI

Biography

After more than 40 years, Sociology Professor Dr. Mary Senter has retired from CMU. Senter leaves a legacy of leadership and mentorship.

Senter first joined the faculty at CMU in August of 1978 and has served in numerous leadership roles throughout her career, including undergraduate and graduate professor, department chairperson, CLASS Assessment Coordinator, Director of the Center for Applied Research and Rural Studies (CARRS), President of the Faculty Association, Chair of the Academic Senate, and Interim Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.

As Director of CARRS from 2002 to 2019, she completed more than 150 applied social science research projects for a variety of nonprofit and government offices in Central and Northern Michigan as well as multiple offices within CMU. 

As faculty member, she received the 2021 John F. Schnabel Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award from the North Central Sociology Association; the 2022 Hans O. Mauksch Award for Distinguished Contributions to Undergraduate Sociology from the Teaching and Learning Section of the American Sociology Association; and the 2025 American Sociology Association Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award for her contributions to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Sociology. 

More about Mary Senter

Senter, Mary Scheuer. 2024. “The Pandemic Classroom and Supportive Relationships: Antidote to Neoliberalism in Higher Education? 2023 Hans O. Mauksch Address for Distinguished Contributions to Undergraduate Teaching ," Teaching Sociology 52(3):191-205.   https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X241256488

Senter, Mary Scheuer.  2023.  “The Impact of Social Relationships on College Student Learning during the Pandemic: Implications for Sociologists.  Teaching Sociology Online First, June 14.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X231178505 

Senter, Mary Scheuer. 2023. “Developing Career-Readiness in the Sociology Major,” pp. 366-81 in Sergio A. Cabrera and Stephen Sweet (eds.), Handbook of Teaching and Learning in Sociology.  Northampton, MA:  Edward Elgar Publishing. 

Senter, Mary Scheuer.  2022.  “NCSA 2022 John F. Schnable Teaching Address: Teaching in the Age of Accountability: What’s a Sociologist to Do.”  Sociological Focus. 55(4):322-35. 

Senter, Mary Scheuer.  2022.  “The Assessment Corps and Other No-Cost, Time-Saving Approaches to Collecting Assessment Data,” Assessment Update. 34(3):8-9. 

Senter, Mary Scheuer, Teresa Ciabattari, and Nicole V. Amaya.  2021. “Is Program Review Worth It?  Sociology Chair Perceptions of Program Review Experiences and Outcomes.”  Journal of Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness. 11(1-2):1-27. 

Senter, Mary Scheuer, Teresa Ciabattari, and Nicole V. Amaya.  2021.  “Sociology Departments and Program Review:  Chair Perspectives on Process and Outcomes.”  Teaching Sociology. 49(1):1-16. 

Senter, Mary Scheuer.  2020.  "A Meaningful and Useful Twofer:  Enhancing Honors Students' Research Experiences While Gathering Assessment Data." Honors in Practice. 16:141-57.

Senter, Mary Scheuer.  2020.  "Thriving as a Sociology Graduate" (with Roberta Spalter-Roth).  Contexts. 19(Winter):58-61.

Senter, Mary Scheuer and Roberta Spalter-Roth. 2020. "Understanding the Well-Being of Recent College Graduates." Sociological Focus. 53(1):10-28.

Senter, Mary Scheuer. 2020. "Implementing a Careers and Professional Development Course for Sociology Students." Teaching Sociology. 48(1):28-39.

Teresa Ciabattari, Kathleen S. Lowney, Renee A. Monson, Mary Scheuer Senter, and Jeffrey Chin "Linking Sociology Majors to Labor Market Success." 2018. Teaching Sociology. 46(3):191-207.

Senter, Mary S. and David A. Ling. "It's Almost Like They Were Happier When You Were Down:" Microaggressions and Overt Hostility Against Native Americans in a Community with Gaming." 2017. Sociological Inquiry. 87(2):256-81.

Senter, Mary Scheuer. "Integrating Program Assessment and a Career Focus into a Research Methods Course." 2017. Teaching Sociology. 45(2):131-41.

Robert Spalter-Roth and Mary Scheuer Senter. "First-Generation Sociology Majors." 2016. Contexts. 15(Spring):76-79.

Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1982

M.A., University of Michigan, 1973

B.A., Smith College, 1971

Applied Sociology

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