Molly Dingel, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, CLI
Specialty: Sociology
Phone: 507-258-8206
Fax: 507-280-2820
Email: dinge016@umn.edu

Education

Postdoctoral Fellowship: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 2005 – 2007.
Ph.D., Sociology, University of Kansas, 2005
M.A., Sociology (with honors), University of Kansas, 2000
B.A., Mathematics and Sociology, Grinnell College, IA, 1998

Background

Though I started my undergraduate program thinking I would major in physics, sociology, with its focus on questions without easy answers, has always been an interest of mine. Sociology provides the tools to help us think through difficult questions, like why there were so few women and minorities in my physics courses. Over the course of my undergraduate education, I came to realize that the questions that I could ask in sociology created a compelling career path, and I chose to pursue a graduate degree in sociology. These questions included not only who was (or was not) doing science, but how scientific communities create bodies of knowledge, what bodies of knowledge were being created, and how that knowledge is understood and used in our social institutions, individuals’ lives, and in our global community.

I believe students learn best when they are engaged in the material and understand how that material relates to their lives and interests. I’m therefore excited to be part of creating a curriculum where the sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities are integrated together so that students have a concrete understanding of the importance of social aspects of science and medicine. In every course I have taught, I have learned from my students. I have a strong belief that teachers must spend some time learning from students, and students should spend some time teaching both each other and teachers.

Teaching

Prior to arriving at UMR, I taught a wide variety of sociology and women’s studies courses, including courses on social problems, families, women’s studies, women and science, sociological methods, medical sociology, social theory, and qualitative methods. At UMR, I draw upon these experiences to craft courses that relate to topics of interest for students pursuing a degree in the health sciences. These topics often draw heavily from the sociology of science and medicine.

Research

My research stems from an interest in the social aspects of science and medicine. I focus this broad interest into two research areas: research on bioethical implications of cutting edge technology and scientific research; and research on how to best train a diverse set of individuals to practice in science and medicine.

My previous research in bioethics has focused on genetics. This topic interests me because genetics is often presented as a modern-day holy grail; the implication is that science will be able to see into our soul, see who we are, and will be able to fix us, to make us the perfect people. To explore this topic, I have examined how behavioral genetic studies are portrayed in the media and how that portrayal differs from the publications and debate in the scientific community. I continue to pursue questions of how new technology and research, like new imaging technology, genetic studies, or knowledge of disease transmission, are changing the field of medicine. Specifically, I investigate the ethical and social ramifications of characterizing addiction as a disease of the brain, or a trait embedded in our genes, instead of a complex behavior influenced by a intricate web of social and biological causes. I also continue to examine how this information is communicated to the public via the media.

My research on education focuses on how background and demographic characteristics (race, class, and gender, for example) affect a student’s progress through college science courses. What barriers exist for women and minorities in the science classroom? How can we mitigate those barriers to encourage a more diverse population of scientists and medical professionals?

Select Publications and Abstracts

Dingel, Molly J. and Joey Sprague. Forthcoming. “Research and reporting on the development of sex in fetuses: Gendered from the start.” Public Understanding of Science. Accepted for publication July 11, 2008.

Dingel, Molly J., and Barbara A. Koenig. 2008. “Tracking Race in Addiction Research.” In Revisiting Race in a Genomic Age. Barbara A. Koenig, Sandra Soo Jin Lee, S. Richardson, eds. Rutgers University Press.

Dingel, Molly J. 2006. “Gendered Experiences in the Science Classroom.” In Removing Barriers: Women in Academic Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics. Sharon R. Bird and Jill Bystydzienski (eds). Indianapolis: Indiana University Press.

Dingel, Molly J., Ashley D. Hicks, Marguerite E. Strobel, and Barbara A. Koenig. 2007. “Integrating Genomics into Public Health Practices: Views of Stakeholders in Tobacco Control.” American Society of Human Genetics, San Diego, CA, October 26, 2007.

Dingel MJ, Hicks A, Koenig BA. “Experts’ Ethical Concerns About a Genetic Screen for Nicotine Addiction.” American Society of Human Genetics, New Orleans, LA, October 10, 2006.