PhD in Sociology

Mohammad Ismael Nooraddini, 2022

What was your specific area of study and how did you choose it?

Survey research and immigration. I started off as a mixed method researcher at a private practice, went back to school to better understand immigrant families where I had more opportunities to learn about surveys and immigration policy, now in my current position, all I do is oversee multi-country survey efforts, including questionnaire design, translation, and post-hoc survey adjustments. Sometimes I dabble in immigration policy.

I essentially broadened my skill set to find a job, then once I got a job, I leaned into what interested me most. I turned my experience into a story that I continued to narrate.

How did your academic experiences in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences impact you?

In a number of ways. First, I worked at the Institute for Immigration (IIR) with Jim and Michele Waslin, and I got accustomed to immigration policy research and taking requests from stakeholders. Second, the student researchers at the center all had different approaches to statistics and immigration, and this offered different perspectives from my own. And third, the Sociology department had a fantastic set of professors who really challenged me, thereby honing my craft.

Which accomplishments during your time at George Mason are you most proud of?

Receiving the Dennies-Weathers award for my contribution to immigration research. The workshops I attended on immigrant integration or research. The papers and chapters I wrote on questionnaire design, survey bias, and immigrant household dynamics. My work with Jim and the IIR. Specifically, the hundreds of fact sheets I made and the email exchanges I had with stakeholders.  And finally, sitting on a hiring committee to bring in one of the newest members of the Anthropology/ Sociology faculty.

I was most proud of the fact I was watching myself become the resource I sought to be — the bridge between policy and the general public on all things immigration.

Are there faculty or staff members who made a difference during your George Mason career?

Yes. Shannon Davis, my chair, Jim Witte, and Michele Waslin.  Shannon was instrumental in me finishing the program and encouraging me to think more about immigrant household dynamics. Jim, along with Shannon, were just methodological savants. And Michele was a crash course in immigration policy.  I don't think I would be where I am today without these three. 

What advice would you give to an incoming cohort of graduate students?

Come in with a clear goal and make sure everything you do gets you one step closer to that goal. Also, seek out opinions different from yours. This is grad school; leverage the opportunity to not be in an echo chamber. Get angry about what you think you know.

What are your current career plans following graduation?  What are your long-term career goals?

Open a non-profit for immigrants and their families to aid in community settlement and integration. Maybe hash out a survey or two for a small business.