Working with students as an advisor and research collaborator is one of my biggest joys of being a professor. This page has information for my current students as well as for students who are interested in working with me or getting something from me (such as a letter of recommendation). Please search for the appropriate section and read it before you email me. This communicates to me that you are truly interested and prepared. Then, email me at sjohfre@uw.edu.
Note: This page is about working with me in a research capacity. If you are interested in taking one of my classes, see the Teaching tab of this website. I try to post my syllabi so you can learn more about the class if you are deciding whether to enroll. In most cases you can register for classes directly. If you still need more information, email me. If you need an add code, email me.
Not currently my student, but interested in working with me? See below to find the appropriate section for your position:
I often have opportunities for undergraduates to join my research team as research assistants (RAs). In order to make sure I can provide adequate support and mentorship to my RAs, I can only accept a handful of students each year. In general, I bring students on as an RA for one quarter to start, with the opportunity to extend that to a full academic year if the progress is good and there is mutual interest. Note that in most cases I am not able to fund RAs; the positions are either volunteer or you may be able to sign up for course credit for the work we do together. I do cover all expenses for the research we do together.
I look for students who are motivated to learn all aspects of the research process, and who are interested in the types of social processes and phenomena I study (e.g. social categories, inequality, social construction, environmental politics). Many of the students I bring on as RAs have been students in my classes first. It is fine if you don't have past research experience -- I have worked with students from many different backgrounds and I prioritize setting students up to learn, contribute, and thrive. If you are a current UW undergraduate student interested in working with me as a research assistant, please email me the following:
A brief introduction to who you are: what year are you, what are your career goals, what are you hoping to learn (in the email)
A paragraph about why you are interested in my research; please read my website and at least one of my published academic papers in order to write this well (in the email)
A CV that includes a description of your past work, volunteer, or research experience
Your current UW transcript (unofficial is fine)
Then, I will get back to you within a week or two about next steps.
I enjoy advising undergraduate honors projects and other independent research. However, I only have the capacity to advise a handful of projects each year, as I want to make sure I am able to dedicate enough time and support to each student I advise. If you are interested in engaging me as an advisor or reader on a thesis or independent project, please email me with the following:
A brief introduction to who you are: what year are you, and what are your career goals? (in the email)
A description of the substance of the project, ideally as a separate document with as much detail as you have currently, including planned research methods. If you are still figuring things out, describe as much as you can, and it's fine if there are details you are not sure about.
A description of the program, including other support you have access to (e.g. a class or seminar; another advisor; a community partner; etc.)
A CV that includes a description of your past work, volunteer, or research experience
Your current UW transcript (unofficial is fine)
Are you a PhD student at UW, in sociology or another field, interested in working or collaborating with me? Please email me to set up a time that we can have a meeting (in Zoom or in person). In your email, please provide some information about who you are, what your research interests are, and why you are interested in my research or advising.
Interested in the University of Washington Sociology PhD program? Yay! It's a great program. Admissions to our program happens centrally – so the department admits a small cohort of students, irrespective of who they hope to work with. (More information here.) Given the volume of requests, I am unfortunately unable to discuss potential advising/collaboration with students before the admissions process is complete. If you are admitted, at that point I am very happy to talk about the possibility of an advising relationship.
I am committed to my current students' growth and success. It is also a two-way relationship: I get to learn and grow along with my students.
I am dedicated to mentorship that allows students with diverse backgrounds to learn, grow, and excel. Everybody comes to research from a different vantage point and level of preparation -- this is a crucially feature of academia and should be cherished rather than squashed. This means my relationships with my students are always unique, depending on the students' specific needs and our areas of intellectual and personal overlap. In my advising, I establish relationships of openness and honesty, and strive towards deep respect, including through providing straightforward feedback on work products (be them exceptional or below the bar). I show up as my full human self in my advising relationships, and I expect my students to do the same. This means I am open to talking about life outside of the strict confines of education and research; that is of course the main reason we are interacting (and should overall be the primary focus), but for all of us, such intellectual aspects of a person are deeply connected to other facets of our lives, including our experiences, interests, career goals, other tugs on our labor, and social positions. We should talk about those if they are relevant to your research and/or education. In my work products and my relationships, I hold myself to a high bar, and I expect my students to do the same. I also prioritize my own well-being (e.g. through setting time boundaries on things and taking time to rest), and I expect my students to do the same.
If you would like my feedback on some work product, e.g. a paper manuscript or application essay draft, please request it via email, and I will let you know if I am able to do it. I try to say yes to these requests unless I am already fully committed at that time. In general, my turnaround time for this type of feedback is two weeks, and I will provide it in writing (but if you prefer a meeting, say that in your email). In your email requesting feedback, please specify what your immediate next goals are with the paper (e.g. this is a first draft that and I'm looking for feedback on big-picture direction; I am about to send this to Journal X and I want to make sure the literature I am engaging with fits with that audience; etc.). That will help me tailor my feedback to what will be most helpful to you at this moment in time.
In general, I am excited about the opportunity to help my current and past students on their career paths, including through writing letters of recommendation for applications to graduate school, fellowships, grants, and jobs. If you would like me to write a letter of recommendation for you, I require the following:
At least six weeks of lead time. For example, if applications are due December 1, you must request a letter from me by October 20.
A draft of your application materials (e.g. all essays, CV, and transcript) at least two weeks ahead of the first deadline. This allows me to make sure my letter fits with how you are presenting yourself.
If you are applying to multiple things at once (e.g. multiple graduate programs), please provide in email a list of all the places/programs you are applying to and their deadlines. Then, I will be able to properly track the links to upload letters on my own as they come in. Please try not to re-send the same link twice (e.g. a button on the application that says "re-send request") -- it adds confusion to my tracking system and risks my losing the link entirely. If the email came into my inbox in the first place, I have it. I save them in a dedicated folder. I will get a letter in by the deadline.
A sentence or two about what aspects of yourself you would like highlighted in my letter.