John K., "Jack," Trammell, Ph.D., has joined Mount St. Mary's as chair of the Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice and Human Services. After an extensive search and interview process in 2017-18, the Mount selected Trammell due to his experience, expertise, and commitment to service. He came to the Mount from Randolph-Macon College where he served as an associate professor and director of disability support services. Trammell is an expert on serving students with disabilities and has published more than 20 books, targeting both scholarly and popular audiences. Under his leadership, the department is now offering the human services major at the Emmitsburg campus. Trammell shared details about his personal history and journey to the Mount.
Trammell’s educational background is diverse. He comes from a family of teachers, reflecting, “I grew up with parents taking us to their schools, in addition to our regular elementary schools.” He completed his undergraduate work at Grove City College (where his father and stepmother were professors) with a bachelor's degree in political science. He decided that he wanted to go into the business world rather than teach. But that soon changed. His wife was a teacher, and he finally caught the family teaching bug as well. He returned to school and obtained a master’s degree at Virginia Commonwealth University, specializing in history and education, and earning a teaching certificate.
Trammell applied to 67 school districts, got 13 interviews, and had 3 offers. He accepted a position in a poor southern Virginia county where they asked him to teach special education. That experience changed his life. “What I saw there was neglect, discrimination, injustice and dysfunctional education for students with disabilities. I realized, too, that good people in the system were trying to do the right things, but that other factors were getting in the way, such as a lack of money, or popular myths about disability that were widely held. It wasn’t just about people—it was also about structural problems in our society that were bigger than our small school,” he reflected.
That was the birth of Trammell’s sociology career. He completed a master’s level certificate in special education at the University of Virginia and became a full-time special education teacher. He then returned to Virginia Commonwealth University to earn a doctorate, studying disability stigma as it affects students in educational settings. His doctoral work coincided with a jump into higher education teaching and administration at Randolph-Macon College. Trammell reflects, “My entire career in education has revolved around teaching, helping, studying and advocating for people (particularly students) with disabilities.”
Trammell hopes to continue his work at the Mount. Commenting on the new human services major offered by the Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice and Human Services, he said, “It is an obvious place where social justice, intellectual curiosity and service come together in ways very similar to my story. I hope to help many Mount students begin and write their own story.”
In addition to his career journey, Trammel has several other interests that include writing, playing basketball and supporting his wife, Audrie in her new job as an art teacher for the Frederick County Public Schools. Trammell is currently writing articles and chapters about intellectual disability and several Civil War pieces.
Trammell's commitment to teaching excellence and service will certainly elevate our students’ learning and potential.
