Center for History and Culture welcomes new interim assistant director

The Center for History and Culture is pleased to announce its new interim assistant director, Dr. Margot Gage Witvliet, a social epidemiologist, assistant professor in the sociology department and advisory board member for the center.

According to the center director Dr. Jimmy Bryan, Witvliet earned her doctorate in social epidemiology and public health from the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Medical Center, UVA/AMC. Before coming to Lamar University, she held post-doctorate fellowships at the UVA/AMC and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Witvliet has written more than 17 peer-reviewed journal publications and has more than 100 citations. She is building Texas’ Women Veteran and Women First Responder Park. Witvliet has organized serval programs at Lamar University, most recently, “Reducing Campus and Coming Violence: Exploring Strategies to Reduce Crime in Beaumont.”

She also teaches courses in research methods, epidemiology and global health, global health disparity, marijuana and medicine and introduction to sociology.

“The center is excited to have the benefit of such a talented and active scholar to further our mission while Dr. Brendan Gillis is away on a research leave,” said Bryan. “In August, Witvliet will begin her work with the center, assisting the director with the Greater Gulf Symposium, the Beaumont 1943 project, programming, fellowships, the Summerlee Book Prize and other initiatives during the forthcoming academic year.”

For more information, visit the Center for History and Culture website.