Dear Alumni, Students, and Friends,
It has been an energizing year for the University of Iowa’s Department of Sociology & Criminology, and we are excited to share our news and achievements with you.
Our undergraduate programs continue to attract an increasing number of majors and minors, and we are now the 8th biggest department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Our majors provide valuable skills and career preparation for undergraduates interested in criminology, justice systems, inequality, and work that addresses pressing social issues. We also continue to offer valuable research opportunities for our students through faculty collaborations, including those fostered by the Group Processes Laboratory, the Public Policy Center, and the Flint Research Project. Led by faculty sponsor Jenn Haylett, some of this student research was showcased at the Iowa Sociological Association this April in Marshalltown, Iowa.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of this year’s graduates! We had a great group of students this year, and we wish them well as they move into the next phase of lives. Our department continues to work hard – through active internship, mentorship, and advising efforts – to ensure that our graduates find fulfilling job or educational opportunities when they complete their degrees. This year’s Outstanding Senior in Sociology and Criminology, Allissa Mae Cox, exemplifies these goals. Allissa graduated with a stellar academic record, conducted research at the Public Policy Center, volunteered for On Iowa, and developed a research project examining the intergenerational trauma of child abuse. Like a number of our graduates, Allissa is now heading to law school.
This is also an exciting time for our graduate program. This year we welcomed the first cohort of students to our PhD program in Criminology. Our Criminology PhD offers a unique opportunity to take courses and conduct research at the intersection of Sociology and Criminology, preparing students for teaching and research jobs in academia, government positions, and work in the nonprofit sector. Our students continue to receive national recognition for their accomplishments in research and teaching. Among those recognized:
- Kendall Riley was awarded the prestigious Ruth Peterson Fellowship
- Chad Rhym’s research studying Black high school teacher experiences received an award from the Midwest Sociological Society
- Asa Madison won CLAS’s Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award
- Maddie Libao was awarded the SAGE Publishing Keith Roberts Teaching Innovations Award
Our faculty also continues to produce cutting-edge scholarship, set the standard for university teaching and mentorship, and take on important leadership positions at the University of Iowa and within their academic fields. Notable research accomplishments include major grants awarded to Louise Seamster and Bodi Vasi (from, respectively, Humanities Without Walls and the National Science Foundation) and a new book— The Science of Dignity—published by Steve Hitlin and our former graduate student, Matthew Andersson. In addition, our department members’ work on mentorship and placement was recognized by the university: Jenn Haylett received the First-Generation Student Advocacy Award for her excellent mentorship and John Zielke won the Career Impact Award for his efforts in helping students transition to postgraduate careers. Finally, our own Mark Berg was named the new Director of the University of Iowa’s Public Policy Center.
Sadly, one of the department’s long-time faculty members, Stephen G. Wieting, passed away last July at the age of 83. A session dedicated to his life and work was held in April at the Midwest Sociological Society, and it is clear that Steve left a lasting mark on our students, our department, and our field. He will be greatly missed.
This is just a sampling of the department’s news and activities during the past year. We hope that you enjoy hearing about the current events of our department and will, in turn, keep in touch with us. We would love to stay informed of your news and accomplishments. Please share any thoughts or news at sociology@uiowa.edu.
Sincerely,
Michael Sauder
Professor and Chair
Department of Sociology and Criminology
University of Iowa