For Odyssey Crowell, a University of Alabama at Birmingham medical sociology alumna, connecting sociology with the natural sciences is a must. Through her research and her career, she has successfully uncovered and explored the points of intersection between the disciplines.
But when she first arrived at UAB as an undergraduate, sociology was not on her radar. That all changed when Mieke Beth Thomeer, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Sociology, delivered a guest presentation during a course Crowell took in the University Honors Program in the Honors College.
Soon after, she switched her major to sociology and took her first class in the program, which further piqued her interest in new sociological concepts.
“The sociology program at UAB is awesome,” Crowell said. “It would not be an overstatement to say that every sociology class I have taken, I have enjoyed it. All my teachers were great—they like to educate, and they will correct you if you need to be corrected and they will do it in a constructive way.”
Crowell’s favorite thing about medical sociology is that it encompasses health and racial disparities and gets to the root of where they begin.
“A doctor would say, ‘This patient has diabetes, and here is how we will treat them,’” she said. “A medical sociologist, however, would ask why they have diabetes in the first place. Do they have access to exercise? Do they have access to nutrition? Do they have access to health care? Which income group do they come from? We look at these data, analyze patterns, and answer questions of concern—and I love it.”
During her undergraduate career, she found many ways to further explore research topics that interested her.
As part of the McNair Scholars Program, she spearheaded a personal research project titled “Young Black Mental Health in a COVID-impacted South.” She received first place for her research at the UAB Fall Undergraduate Research Expo and later presented at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research.
She also participated in fellowships and worked with several non-profit organizations to gain experience, including the Greater Birmingham Alliance to Stop Pollution. Crowell, a first-generation college student and middle child among three daughters, credits her family’s support for her successful college career.
“It’s like my parents and I came to college together,” she said. “Both my parents were not able to complete their college education due to extenuating life circumstances, so just getting this degree was a big deal for my family and me.”
During her junior year, Crowell enrolled in the Accelerated Bachelor’s-Master’s (ABM) Program in Sociology.
She finished the ABM program in December 2024, and, looking ahead, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. (and will begin submitting applications this year). In the meantime, she works as a STEM Education Specialist at the McWane Science Center, where she develops programming, homeschool labs, and camps for visitors. She also implements outreach initiatives that have reached 63 out of 67 counties in Alabama this past year.
“My role allows me to bring meaningful science experiences to communities that traditionally lack access to STEM education,” said Crowell. “Given that I am from the Black Belt region, this work is rewarding, as I did not have many STEM opportunities growing up—especially seeing science from a person who looked like me.”
According to Crowell, her degrees in sociology influence her work on a daily basis.
“It enables me to approach STEM education with an awareness of social structures, access disparities, and community needs,” said Crowell.
