Nicolas Simon

Nicolas Simon is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Criminology and Social Work at Eastern Connecticut State University. He focuses on enhancing student success through the development of social and cultural capital, using a student-centered pedagogy rooted in asset-based learning. His office is located in Webb Hall, Room 453, and he can be reached at simonn@easternct.edu.

• MA in Geography, Université de Caen – Basse-Normandie, France
• MA in Sociology, Université de Caen – Basse-Normandie, France
• PhD in Sociology, University of Connecticut

Dr. Simon’s research spans three primary areas: Sociology of Higher Education, with a focus on first-generation college students and service learning; Sociological Theory, emphasizing Critical Theory, Symbolic-Interactionism, and French authors; and Qualitative Methods, particularly Grounded Theory and Autoethnography. His teaching integrates the works of Pierre Bourdieu, Erving Goffman, C. Wright Mills, and Peter Berger.

His publications include a 2018 edited volume Clearing the Path, exploring first-generation student experiences through qualitative studies, and a 2013 article analyzing Marcel Mauss’s contributions to sociology. Dr. Simon collaborates with the Center for Community Engagement, promoting civic involvement and asset-based community service in his courses.

Dr. Simon works closely with the Center for Community Engagement to integrate civic participation into his teaching, encouraging students to volunteer and apply asset-based learning strategies to community contexts.