Awards and Honors

THE DEPARTMENT

The Sociologists for Women in Society (SWS) recognized the department with the 2008 SWS Seal of Excellence for being one of 22 most gender- and women-friendly departments in the country. To be awarded this seal, a department must meet the SWS standards for both representation of women faculty and representation of gender/inequality scholarship.

FACULTY

11/11/09 - Charles Jaret received the Georgia Sociological Association's 2009 "Sociologist of the Year" Award. Click here for pictures.

Lesley Reid, along with Deirdre Oakley and Erin Ruel, have been awarded $150,000 from National Science Foundation (NSF) to examine crime patterns in Atlanta as neighborhood transform with the demolition of public housing and the relocated of residents. This project is part of the ongoing Urban Health and Well-being Research Initiative.

Erin Ruel and Deirdre Oakley have been awarded $7,000 from American Sociological Association Fund for the Advancement of the Discipline (FAD) grant to document the public housing relocation process as experienced and seen by the residents themselves. This project is also part of the ongoing Urban Health and Well-being Research Initiative.

Burgess, Elisabeth (2008-2010). Was awarded an NIA, R21 grant ($325,848) to study Project: Negotiating Sexuality and Intimacy in Assisted Living.

Harvey Wingfield, Adia (2008). Roadmap for an Entrepreneurial Economy Initiative. (2008.) “Assessing How Gender Shapes African Americans’ Use of Small Business Development Centers.” Awarded $15,000 to study gendered uses of federal policy initiatives. Kauffman Foundation/Georgia Research Alliance.

Oakley, Deirdre and Erin Ruel (2008). were award $20,000 from the University of Kentucky’s Poverty Center for their proposal entitled, “Geographic Trends and Neighborhood Context of Public Housing Relocation in Metropolitan Atlanta: A Longitudinal Analysis”

Reid, Lesley was selected as a Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer for 2008-2010 (http://www.sigmaxi.org/programs/lectureships/0809.shtml)

Heying (Jenny) Zhan (2008) received a $26,000 Fullbright Fellowship for Senior Scholars to conduct research abroad in China for 4 months to further her studies on issues of population aging and eldercare in China. She also received an ISI grant from GSU for $8,000 to establish her research agenda in China.

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Ranell Myles, a PhD student in Sociology, received a Ford Foundation predoctoral scholarship. She is one of approximately 60 awardees nationwide. The award provides $20,000 a year for three years plus additional funds for mandatory student fees and insurance costs. In September 2009 she was featured on the main GSU website. http://www.gsu.edu/38340.html

Anthony Healy (Forthcoming) "Theories of Religion” Social Scientific Studies of Religion

Dai Ito's term paper in the "Asian American Experience" Course has been accepted at the Association of Asian American Studies (AAAS), and Dai went to Chicago to present the paper at the annual meeting of AAAS in April 2008.

Christopher Robinson successfully defended his masters thesis "The Sticking Out Parts: A Content Analysis of Print and Website Advertisements on Breast and Penis Augmentation" and graduates with his masters degree this summer.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Renee Shelby (Forthcoming) was runner up in the 2008-2009 University Library Undergraduate Research Award in the 3000/4000 level category for her paper "Sexual Minority Youth: The Effects of Stress on Well-Being". She received a $250 award and a certficiate of recognition.

Nakisha McNeal (BA Sociology, 2005) – Received a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship to Korea

ALUMNI

Cameron Lippard (Ph.D. 2006) was inducted into Appalachian State University's Academy of Outstanding Teachers.

Pyong Gap Min (Ph.D. 1983) has been selected to be a Distinguished Professor at his current institution, Queens College, CUNY.

Quinn M. Gentry (Ph.D. 2003) has been selected as an urban health fellow at Johns Hopkins University where she will conduct health disparities research at the Bloomberg School of Public Health for two years.

Sandra Barnes has moved to the Vanderbilt University Divinity School, where she is now Professor of Sociology of Religion.

Pyong Gap Min (Ph.D. 1983) recently published a new new book "Ethnic Solidarity for Economic Survival: Korean Greengrocers in New York City" (Russell Sage Foundation).