Biography - Virginia L Merlini

Dr. Merlini completed her MA in Sociology in 1993 and her Ph.D. in Sociology in 2004 at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut. The title of her dissertation was “A CASE STUDY OF THE EQUESTRIAN SPORT OF POLO: An Integrative Approach to Issues of Structure, Function, and Interaction. Prior to graduate school Dr. Merlini completed four A.S. degrees in Math, Computer Science, Physical Science, and Pre-Engineering Science at Northwestern Connecticut Community College in 1986 and received her S.B degree in Course XXIV – Linguistics & Philosophy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1989. Dr. Merlini began teaching in 1991 as a graduate student at the University of Connecticut. Adjunct teaching was how Dr. Merlini was able to complete graduate school. She has taught part-time at thirteen two and four-year colleges and universities, and at two correctional institutions – a maximum-security women’s prison and a medium-security men’s facility. She has had full-time appointments at one two-year college and two four-year colleges. Currently, Dr. Merlini is a full time professor of sociology in Georgia.