A member of the Hamilton College (Clinton, NY) faculty since 1981, Dan Chambliss earned Master's and Ph.D. degrees from Yale University; in 1982 his doctoral thesis received the American Sociological Association’s prize for the best recent dissertation on medical sociology.

His research interests are higher education, formal organizations, social psychology and research methods, while he teaches courses from introductory sociology through senior theses, with an emphasis on social theory, social psychology, and phenomenology. 

Holder of two previous endowed chairs in recognition of undergraduate teaching, in 2005 Chambliss was named the inaugural holder of the Eugene M. Tobin Distinguished Professorship at Hamilton. Continue Reading

Chambliss is available for lectures, consulting, and appearances on request.

Recent Publication

How College Works

Constrained by shrinking budgets, can colleges do more to improve the quality of education? And can students get more out of college without paying higher tuition? Daniel Chambliss and Christopher Takacs conclude that the limited resources of colleges and students need not diminish the undergraduate experience. How College Works reveals the surprisingly decisive role that personal relationships play in determining a student’s collegiate success, and puts forward a set of small, inexpensive interventions that yield substantial improvements in educational outcomes. 

“This is a wonderful book—both rigorous and a pleasure to read. A core insight shines through—the reminder that even with the proliferation of technology, human interactions remain central to most students’ college experience.”
— Richard Light, Harvard University

Press for How College Works

Buy from Harvard Univ. Press  Buy From Amazon

"What Makes a Positive College Experience?"
An Interview with Tamar Lewin of The New York Times