![COP28 3](/Images/students%20with%20Raj_tcm18-378561.jpg?w=s)
UMass Lowell's Department of Sociology prepares students for careers in a variety of fields by providing a rigorous understanding of the social forces and institutions that affect human behavior.
Meet Our Students and Alumni
![Lilian Whitehead in the files storage area at the Center for Lowell History.](/Images/Lilian_Whitehead_1400_tcm18-383918.jpg?w=m)
A work-study job with the Center for Lowell History is preparing Lilian Whitehead for a future museum career.
![UMass Lowell student Rafaela Gonzalez poses with some of her GloryScent products](/Images/rafaela-gonzalez1400_tcm18-288166.jpg?w=m)
Rafaela Gonzalez wants to care for people as individuals and in communities, so she's majoring in sociology and minoring in psychology. She's also started her own business.
![Ben Jeter and others stand around a table a meeting](/Images/Ben-Jeter-env_tcm18-335018.jpg?w=m)
Ben Jeter’s experiences at UMass Lowell, including participating in the professional co-op program and his job as a resident advisor, turned him into a student leader.
![Michelle Garcia reads aloud in front of a class](/Images/michelle-garcia1600_tcm18-309485.jpeg?w=m)
Michelle Garcia, a rising spoken word poet, is also learning how to write poetry for the page.
![UMass Lowell student Debby Fernand stands next to RHSA Director Matthew Hurwitz](/Images/Debby-Fernand-1400_tcm18-345898.jpg?w=m)
Debby Fernand says the River Hawk Scholars Academy has introduced her to friends and faculty mentors – and turned her into a leader herself.