mcconnell

HWS News

21 October 2025 • Alums McConnell '12 Named Scholar of the Year at Florida Atlantic University By Paige Cooke

Scholarship, teaching and mentorship earn HWS alumnus top faculty honor.

Sociologist William McConnell ’12 has been named the 2025 Assistant Professor Scholar of the Year by Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. The award honors faculty who exemplify excellence in scholarship, research, teaching, advising and leadership, and who make meaningful contributions to FAU’s mission and student success.

William McConnell '12 celebrates being awarded the Assistant Professor Scholar of the Year with Michael Horswell, the Dean of the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters at Florida Atlantic University. 

McConnell was celebrated at FAU’s annual College of Arts and Letters “Hooties” Awards Ceremony earlier this year.

At FAU since 2018, McConnell’s teaching and work examine how social networks shape health, focusing on aging, caregiving and Alzheimer’s disease. His research underscores the vital role of social connectedness in cognitive health and caregiving policy.

After graduating magna cum laude in sociology from HWS, McConnell went on to earn an MS in applied statistics and doctorate in sociology from Indiana University. He was recently promoted to Associate Professor in the Sociology Department at FAU. 

Widely published, McConnell’s work has appeared in top journals such as Alzheimer’s & Dementia, The Gerontologist and Social Science & Medicine. His research, cited more than 400 times, demonstrates national and international impact, and he has secured more than $375,000 in external funding including a significant award from the National Institutes of Health.

In addition to his research, McConnell mentors graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, preparing the next generation of researchers. His contributions have earned him multiple honors, including Best Paper Awards from the Academy of Management and invitations to selective national programs for Alzheimer’s research scholars.

At HWS, he also earned a double minor in philosophy and French and Francophone Studies, and was a teaching fellow, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the HWS Debate team, Hobart Rugby Club and Seneca 7 Club.