Department Happenings
January 2019.
Leadership in the Field
Fenggang Yang visited Singapore to participate in a writing workshop and to attend the inaugural conference of the East Asian Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. As founding president of the new association, he delivered a presidential address on the social scientific study of religion in the Global East.
Dan Olson concluded serving last year as president of the Association for the Sociology of Religion with his presidential address at the organization’s annual meetings in Philadelphia. The title of Dan’s address was "The Influence of Your Neighbors' Religions on You, Your Attitudes and Behaviors, and Your Community."
Jean Beaman was appointed a member of ASA's Committee on the Status of Racial and Ethnic Minorities in Sociology (through 2020).
Highlighted Tributes/Awards
Shawn Bauldry was named a University Faculty Scholar under the Provost’s Faculty Scholar Program.
Beth Hoffmann was awarded an Engage grant from the College of Liberal Arts. Funds can be used to invite 3‐5 leading scholars and/or practitioners in the field to visit campus and consult and advise on ways to strengthen/improve the work‐ in‐progress.
Dan Olson was awarded a 2Teach grant to expand and teach a new theory class for undergraduate students.
Christie Sennott received the College of Liberal Arts Kenneth T. Kofmehl Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award for 2017-2018.
Jean Beaman won the Faculty Excellence in Research Award from the Center for Research on Diversity and Inclusion for her book, Citizen Outsider: Children of North African Immigrants in France.
Impactful Books
Fenggang Yang published a book, Atlas of Religion in China: Social and Geographical Contexts. Leiden, Netherlands and Boston, MA: Brill Academic Publishers.
Research Excellence
Patti Thomas was selected as the winner of the 2018 Lorene Burkhart Award for Excellence in Research about Families at Purdue University, for her paper "Do Older Parents' Relationships with Their Adult Children Affect Cognitive Limitations, and Does This Differ for Mothers and Fathers?".
Brian Kelly has received the 2018 Exploratory Research in the Social Sciences for his project "Cross-Substance Policy Influences on Trajectories of Youth Marijuana and Tobacco Use"
Thomas V. Maher and Co-PI Charles Seguin received NSF funding for a project, "Social Movement Impact on Policy Outcomes."
Robin Stryker won the Distinguished Article Award from the Political Sociology Section and the Human Rights Section of the American Sociological Association, for her recent publication in the American Journal of Sociology, "From Judicial Doctrine to Social Transformation: Comparing US Voting Rights, Equal Employment Opportunity and Fair Housing Legislation."