Danilla Kowalczuk

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Sociology

Future Plans

Earn a Ph.D. in Sociology at Binghamton SUNY in the fall of 2025

Honored Faculty

Dr. Arthur Scarritt, professor, Department of Sociology and co-director, Intermountain Social Research Lab

Biography

Danilla Kowalczuk is a community-oriented individual who seeks to unify her future research with social action. On campus, she has taken on the role of facilitator and tutor for TRIO, whose workshops aimed to unify and understand the TRIO community through art and discussion on microaggressions.

During her time at Boise State, Kowalczuk has grown as a researcher, as a McNair scholar and within the sociology department. Undertaking two years at the Intermountain Social Research Lab, taking on the role of a mentor during the second year, Kowalczuk produced novel research looking at the intersection of race and class. As a research assistant for the Global Gardens project, a partnership with the City of Boise and Boise State, she assisted with understanding the challenges farmers from refugee backgrounds face. In another research assistant role, she helped establish the infrastructure for the Sociology Community Research Lab, designed protocol for a project with the Boise School District and worked on a research project funded by the National Science Foundation. Out of this, she co-founded the Qualitative Research Club with Amelia Jobe and Niamh Winters to help future researchers across the university. 

Outside of campus, Kowalczuk has looked to support the ongoing local efforts of mutual aid and organizing. Specifically, her work with Boise Tenants United has brought to the forefront the necessity for mobilizing people power. This has informed her on prospective research projects in her graduate career and beyond, but importantly, her commitment to grassroots efforts. Kowalczuk will continue to take what she has learned at Boise State and from her local communities to foster empowerment in repressive spaces. 

Kowalczuk is from Boise, Idaho.

Scholarships and Awards

Dr. Martin Scheffer Sociology Scholarship, Boise State University Scholarship Fund, Steve Patrick Memorial Scholarship in Sociology, Richard T. and Josephine G. Clemens Scholarship and the College of Arts and Sciences Scholarship