Program: Sociology
Matthew Green had no idea what sociology was when he took an Introduction to Sociology class during his senior year at Downers Grove North High School.
But it was that class that hooked him. Before coming to College of DuPage, Green completed his Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of Arizona, where he also taught undergraduate sociology courses. Prior to that, he was an adjunct sociology instructor at Woodland Community College in Northern California while concurrently completing his master's degree in Sociology.
"What we in the discipline call the 'sociological imagination' involves viewing society and the world as a whole with a broad-based, sociological perspective," he said. "This sociological imagination is what I aim to convey to all my students: to teach them to view their lives and their personal experiences in a sociological way. If students are able to leave the class with some level of a sociological imagination, I feel that I've been successful as an instructor."
Green loves to teach, and he really enjoys his students at College of DuPage.
"If anybody inspires me, it's my students," he said. "At times, teaching can be a very humbling experience, but students constantly keep me on my toes and challenge me to be the most effective instructor of sociology that I can be."