Over 30 Years of Research and Still Going: The Profile of Professor Samuel McReynolds
April 2, 2022
By: Mya Hankes
A look into the life of Professor Samuel McReynolds, his undying passion for research and tumultuous path he has followed.
McReynolds had actually never taken a Sociology class during his undergraduate program at the University of Virginia. It wasn’t until he had finished his undergraduate studies, and was attending University of Vermont for a Masters Program.
“It actually began in the library at the University of Vermont. I saw myself as an intellectual historian or number cruncher. The computing center was hiring individuals to work, specifically for Rural Studies. Out of the 40 applicants who applied and had real experience, I got the job. This was all because I went in there and asked the guy why I should work for their office. I reversed the roles of the interview and it really stumped them.”
After getting the job, his research expanded from locally to internationally.
“All six years of it were great. The highlight of it was being able to travel all around Vermont and look at their communities. I also had a colleague at Cornell who asked me to go to El Salvador, and that forthcomingly launched a two year excursion. It made me absolutely love field work.”
The time that McReynolds spent in El Salvador focused on Agrarian reform over farmland being evenly distributed within the country. “ I went back and forth from El Salvador for two years and met about 6000 farmers to talk about this change. After my data collection, I wrote a dissertation that talked about better outcomes, the higher quality of life, and overall better farm yields that come from reform.”
Following his accomplishments at UVM and receiving his MA, McReynolds attended Cornell and received his PhD in applied research studies. The background work he refers to as his niche is developmental sociology with a focus on regional and rural areas.
During these years, McReynolds published some other pieces of work including Eugenics and Rural Developments and Service Employment and Rural Community Economic Development. McReynolds shared that his work is renowned in El Salvador and a portion of it is used for agricultural standards in the country.
Afterwards, McReynolds took a position at the University of New England as a seasoned researcher. He saw his position at the university as temporary, but with a severe spinal injury that occured and personal hardships, his time at UNE turned much longer. He has now been at the University for 31 years and while he loves teaching, his passion for more research has never faded.
Considering this, his time at UNE has not been ill spent.
Not only was McReynolds able to spend his time between El Salvador, he also expanded it to other Latin American countries. The courses that he teaches at UNE are all closely tied to this research area, incorporated into the curriculum. One example of this is Visual Sociology, which focuses on how images have societal meaning. There is one week of the course that McReynolds dedicates to his time in Latin America. He has a deep connection and appreciation for the time he spent there and the people he encountered.
“There is a history in Latin American studies for me. I was able to teach in Brazil twice as an exchange faculty. It sparked my interest and I actually met my now ex-wife while I was there. I have a daughter who is half-Brazilian, and used to own a store in Portland that specialized in Brazilian goods. Having that store allowed me to know pretty much every Brazilian in southern Maine, especially those who are undocumented citizens.”
Looking towards the future, McReynolds has finally decided it is time to launch back into the research world. With his interests in Latin American studies, he has chosen to take sabbatical leave Spring 2023 for a project.
“After next semester and finishing up what I have here at the University, I am taking the time to learn more about the non-white populations of Northern New England. My plan is to start with undocumented Brazilians in Maine because I still have contact with many of them from the store I used to own. After that, I want to include other states, probably Vermont and New Hampshire, and other non-white communities.”
