Advisor of the Year 2012
Thomas Linneman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and was nominated for this award by his advisees. Students cited his reassuring demeanor, approachability, friendliness, knowledgeability, and a willingness to go the extra mile for a student.
Professor Linneman joined the faculty at William and Mary in 1998. He received his B.A. from Rice University and his Master's and Ph.D .from the University of Washington in Seattle. His research areas of interest include social change, gender, sexualities, the media and religion. He served as the chair of the Sociology Department from 2006 to 2011. His most recent book, Social Statistics: The Basics and Beyond, was published by Routledge Press in 2011. He currently serves as editor of the Trends section of the American Sociological Association’s Contexts.
"One of the reasons I love William and Mary is that it allows professors to work closely with undergraduate students. Not merely allows, but provides opportunities for doing so. Academic Advising is one of the key ways William and Mary accomplishes this. I have been advising for over a decade now, and it's one of the most enjoyable and rewarding aspects of my job here. Whether it's helping a new freshman student adjust to college life (my mantra: "get some sleep!"), working with a transfer student who is adapting to William and Mary's academic culture, or showing a Sociology major that it's possible to go abroad for a semester and still graduate in four years, advising always brings an interesting set of challenges and conversations. My favorite part of my advising meetings with students is, after getting our work done, just chatting with them about their histories and futures and how their experience at William and Mary fits within their life trajectories."
