Hola, nîn hâo, namaste, asalaam alaikum, guten tag, anyoung haseyo, shalom, hello!
I’ve been teaching sociology at PCC since 2000. I love teaching and ooze with enthusiasm for Sociology. I’m a curious person with lots of questions. I wonder…what’s the story behind that person with the cardboard sign asking for money at the stop light? Why do women still earn less money than men in the same job? Is the American family really falling apart? How come pornography is a multibillion dollar industry if so many people think its “bad”?
Sociology satisfies my curiosity. It answers these questions and then some. It helps me make sense out of what often seems like a nonsensical world. And teaching…it’s a blessing. I learn so much from students. From students, I also gain a sense of hope that they—the next generation of leaders, will make the world a better place for all, not just some, people.
I know first-hand the challenges that you face trying to balance school, work, and relationships. While working fulltime, I completed a Ph.D. at Portland State University in 2013. My area of expertise is urban immigration. I also have a master’s degree in Intercultural Relations.
In grad school, I worked as grassroots community organizer for Oregon Uniting. Its aim is to build alliances across racial and ethnic lines to advance the unfinished agenda of civil rights in Oregon. I also served as regional coordinator for Initiatives of Change–an international network organized to address social inequalities in over 60 countries.
Nursing was my first career. I started in the newborn nursery at Kaiser Permanente Hospital, and then transferred to ICU and the surgical floor.
On the personal side…my ethnic heritage is Scotch-Irish and Norwegian. I grew up in El Paso, Texas–a town on the U.S.-Mexico border. My family by marriage is biracial. I’m a kidney donor and mentor women with intellectual disabilities. India is my favored travel destination.
I’m readily available and easy to talk to. So please do contact me with questions: niki.toussaint@pcc.edu