Sociology Department Awards

2024 Awards



C. Wright Mills Award for Outstanding Scholarship in Sociology

As a sociologist, C. Wright Mills was known for his critical examination of society and his
emphasis on understanding the connection between personal troubles and public
issues. This award is given to students who live up to these ideals by fulfilling some, if
not all, of the following: outstanding overall GPA, AKD (Sociology Honor Society)
membership, quality of papers written, intellectual curiosity as exhibited in class
discussion, research done with faculty or independently, and/or intention to attend
graduate school.

  • Madison Centeno
  • Brooke Witherow
Past Recipients

2022

  • Gillian Berardi

2020

  • Shane Veirun
  • Oriana Daniberg
  • Haley Saunders
  • Elsie Martin
  • Christine Price

2016

  • Louis Marzella
  • Jessie Gyr

2015

  • Jessia Kim

2014

  • Michael Yee
  • Tessa Castellani

2013

  • Elizabeth Felix
  • Dara Gell

2012

  • Katrina Wagner
  • Abram Miller

2011

  • Ryan Graham

2010

  • Yurino Kawashima

2009

  • David Youhess

2008

  • Ari Renoni
  • Morgan Moses

2007

  • Amanda Laskoe
  • Antonia Conklin-Heininger

2006

  • Colleen Philpoll

2005

  • Stephanie Wilson
  • Heather Scheuerman

2004

  • Halina Lotyozewski
  • Kathryn Phillips

2003

  • Michelle Bishop
  • Jennifer Flad

2002

  • Susan Drexel
  • Scott DeBurgoMaster

2001

  • Glenda Gross
  • Ran Shimoda

2000

  • Ashia DeLabastide
  • Amanda Gould

1999

  • Mollie Cross

1998

  • Traci Cerami
  • Dina Perrone

1997

  • Ami Savigny

1996

  • Karen T. Kerness

1995

  • Kristina Young
  • Deborah Hagen

1994

  • Sarah Dutton

1993

  • Anita Moller

Jane Addams Award for Outstanding Leadership in Community Service

A pioneering social reformer, activist, feminist, and scholar, Jane Addams was the first
American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize as well as a leading advocate for
social justice, peace, and women鈥檚 rights. This award is given to students whose work
continues in this tradition by fulfilling some, if not all, of the following: volunteer work
with community agencies, active involvement in social movement organizations,
commitment to social change as exhibited in class discussions, public service
internships, and/or research on public policy or social problems.

  • Katherine Oliva
  • Julia Wallace
Past Recipients

2022

  • Michelly Meza-Benitez

2021

  • Adrianna Desantis
  • Danielle Langone

2020

  • Madison Folley
  • Eduiz Mendez

2019

  • NIcole Horn

2017

  • Ella Mosco

2016

  • Abigail Golfo

2015

  • Yasmine Taha
  • Joanna Rose-Gross

2014

  • Effie Barbagiannis

2013

  • Meaghan Kelsey
  • Sadie Baker

2012

  • Michael Vaughn

2011

  • Brittney Walker
  • Emily Olson

2010

  • Raymond FeDora

2009

  • Vivian Chiu

2008

  • Jennifer Delcourt

2007

  • Laura Kleiman
  • Rebecca Krebs

2006

  • Corrine Wilson

2005

  • Arsenie Gutnik

2004

  • Brynn Speer
  • Mary Peplin

2003

  • Tayler Wilhelm

2002

  • Katie Decker
  • Runa Rajagopal

2001

  • Albert Abonado

2000

  • Erin Nyquist
  • Susan Ehrhard

1999

  • Jennifer Ehlinger

1998

  • Sara Beinert
  • Lara Kassel

1997

  • Sara Hanft

1996

  • William R. Taylor

1995

  • Joanne M. Huenemoerder

1994

  • Stephanie Bogananno
  • Susan Putt

1993

  • Jennifer Capria
  • Sarah Hubinsky

W. E. B. DuBois Award for Leadership and Departmental Service

The scholarly accomplishments of W. E. B. DeBois, the groundbreaking sociologist and
first African American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard, are matched by his activism,
advocacy for social justice, and contributions to civil rights as a co-founder of the
NAACP. In this spirit, this award is given to students who fulfill some, if not all, of the
following: service as a student representative to the department鈥檚 meetings, leadership
of the Sociology Club, administrative intern to the department, and/or leadership in
other campus or community organizations.

  • Madelyn Engel
  • Sydney Saunders
Past Recipients

2022

  • Mikayla O'Leary

2021

  • Robbie Economou
  • Haley Saunders

2020

  • Madeline Reilly

2019

  • Stephanie LeClair

2016

  • Anna Fong

2015

  • Carolann Cely

2014

  • Pamela Zaiter

2013

  • Amy Tran
  • Aaron Mock
  • Kevin Castaneda

2012

  • Susan Shi
  • Naomi Burris

2011

  • Bianca Gatto
  • Andrew Demosthenous

2009

  • Emily Klotz

2008

  • Christine Seuffert
  • Meaghan Colligan

2007

  • Robert Scanlon
  • Nicholas Hobson

2006

  • Megan Havey

2005

  • Jackie Chessen

2004

  • Evelyn Rodriguez

2003

  • Lori Hobbs

2002

  • Belinda Amoako
  • Julianne Panneli

2001

  • Bethany Gilbert
  • Erin Quackenbush

2000

  • Mark Brennen

1999

  • Oral Robertson
  • Rebecca Rahn

1998

  • Sara Pauly

1997

  • Kristi Schwindt

1996

  • Pamela J. Griffith

1995

  • Noel Raley

1994

  • Erin Brady

1993

  • Amy Vu

Dr. F. Kurt Cylke, Jr. Memorial Award for Promising Sociologists

The Department of Sociology created this award to recognize those students who show
not just exceptional promise, as so many students do, but who also actively use their
sociological imaginations, focusing on why and how sociology is unique as a discipline.                                                             The Department renamed this award in memory of Dr. F. Kurt Cylke, Jr. who, as a long-
time teacher and a model of the discipline and the department, was instrumental in                                                               bringing many students into and through the major.

  • Michael Abrams
  • Natalie Bentley
  • Julia Carter
  • River Laspesa
  • Ella Mcnay
  • Alexandra Messerklinger
Previous Recipents

2022

  • Kate O' Neil
  • Ruby Morris
  • Shane Veirun
  • Tess Zuchowski

2021

  • Laura Jackson
  • Margaret Hewitt

2020

  • Macaire Lisicki
  • Elena Cuascut
  • Danielle Langone
  • Clara Mooney

2019

  • Oriana Daniberg

2018

  • Christine Pierce
  • Abby Barrett

2017

  • Ashley Quinlan
  • William Planeta

2016

  • Jenna Buyck
  • Riagan McMahon
  • Lillian Perry
  • Laura Brown
  • Jennifer Bender

2015

  • Elizabeth Ohman
  • Danna Mahoney
  • Shauna Ricketts

Joanna Kirk Memorial Award

In honor of the diverse array of interests and boundless creativity that Joanna Kirk
brought to every project, this award is given to students who fulfill some, if not all, of the
following: outstanding scholarship and/or applied work in the areas of international
politics and development, cross-cultural studies, law, gender, or spiritual practice.

  • Gaetan Jean Louis

Paper Award for Outstanding GREAT Day Paper

This award recognizes an outstanding paper written by a student in an upper-level
sociology course that is presented at GREAT Day.

  • Bryanna Hargrove

Alpha Kappa Delta (International Honors Society of Sociology)

  • Piper Beckwith
  • Natalie Bentley
  • Evan M. Boyle
  • Max Dargavel
  • Gaetan Jean Louis
  • Griffin Lyons
  • Alexandra Messerklinger
  • Julia Occhi
  • Sydney Saunders

Phi Beta Kappa (International Honors Society

Previous Recipients

2021

  • Haley Saunders
  • Margaret Hewitt
  • Robbie Economou

2020

  • Madeline Reily

2019

  • Kyle Witzen
  • Ashley Quinlan
  • Abby Barrett

2018

  • Shauna Ricketts
  • Madeline Klotz
  • Jennifer Blender

2017

  • Katherine Zaslavsky
  • Naomi Love
  • Vanessa Calle
  • Andrew Arcese

2016

  • Amelia Yousey
  • Elizabeth Ohman
  • Jessie Gyr
  • Abigail Golfo
  • Abigail Crosby

2015

  • Michael Yee
  • Jessica Kim
  • Rhonda DiPronio

2014

  • Ysmine Taha
  • Maya Horton
  • Jessica Gerber

2013

  • Saskia Talay
  • Jobina Alexander

2012

  • Abram Miller

2011

  • Britney Walker
  • Cara Kowalski

2010

  • Jean Hoch
  • Alyssa Herman
  • Christy Allen

2009

  • Laura Smykla
  • Masako Kinoshita
  • Jessica Gilmore

2008

  • Ari Renoni
  • Jasmine Montgomery
  • Melanie Mazur
  • Jennifer Delcourt
  • Genevieve Bernier

2004

  • Brynn Speer
  • Kathryn Phillps
  • Jessica Nichols
  • Halina Lotyczewski