Kristy Maher, Ph.D. is a Professor of Sociology. She received her undergraduate degree in Sociology from St. Michael’s College in Vermont and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from Yale University. Once graduating from Yale, she knew she wanted a career at a small liberal arts college like her undergraduate experience and came to Furman in 1993. Her main areas of interest include medical sociology, social determinants of health, and health disparities. She served as the Chair of the Sociology Department for six years in the early 2000's and has directed study away programs for over a decade taking students to Southern Africa and Cuba to explore global health inequalities. Most recently she co-directs a May X program to Denmark to study happiness. In 2023, she was selected by Furman for the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities Excellence in Teaching Award. She teaches classes in Medical Sociology and Social Determinants of Health, and the Sociology Department's capstone course which involves skills such as self-assessment and integrative reasoning regarding one’s educational experience to assist students in reflecting on and planning for the life they wish to live. Dr. Maher is currently the Acting Chair of the Sociology Department and the Director of the MacDonald Medicine Program.

Education

• Ph.D., Yale University
• M.Phil., Yale University
• M.A., Yale University
• B.A., St. Michael's College