Department News
NIU Sociology receives anonymous donation, creates Sociology Engagement Award to support undergraduate research, conference travel and other undergraduate enrichment activities.
NIU Sociology a co-sponsor of the 15th annual Chicago Ethnography Conference, featuring keynote speaker Prof. Jeff Kidder, Kerry Ferris and several MA students presenting their own qualitative research.
Sociology major, Guide Sobecki, selected to serve as 2012-13 Northern Light Ambassador by OSEEL.
Welcome to our newest faculty member - Prof. Simón Weffer. Prof. Weffer holds a joint appointment in Sociology and Latino and Latin American Studies.
Congratulations to Prof. Kristen Myers who was recently appointed Director of Women's Studies
Department newsletter: The Social Network
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Research Highlights
Fred Markowitz and colleagues win National Institute of Mental Health funding to investigate (1) how family attitudes towards mental illness affect recovery processes and (2) how police respond to veterans exhibiting signs of mental illness.
Kristen Myers' sabbatical research on children, gender and media images was featured at the NIU Board of Trustees meeting on Feb 28, 2013.
Listen to Kristen Myers' podcast about her 2012 publication in the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography: "Exotica: The Deployment of Intersecting Binaries"
Undergraduate sociology students engaged in direct research - Jesslyn Truesdale (mentored by Prof. Kirk Miller) and Cierria McPerryman (mentored by Prof. Kristen Myers) engaged in original research as research rookies- supported by the Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning. Follow Jesslyn and Cierria's blog about their research rookie experiences.
Several faculty are leaders in the field holding office or other positions of leadership in national or regional professional organizations:
Kerry Ferris has been elected to vice president of the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction and Treasurer of the Illinois Sociological Association.
Kristen Myers is past Treasuerer of Sociologists for Women in Society.
Robin Moremen is editorial board member of Teaching Sociology, the leading journal on teaching in the field and an official publication of the American Sociological Association.
Carol Walther has been elected to the Executive Council of the Southwestern Sociological Association.
Events & Engagement
Submit your best original sociology paper to the Student Paper Competition. Submissions due Friday, March 8th. Awards presented at the Spring Awards Brunch on Saturday, April 20th (930-1130 am at the Kishwaukee Country Club.)
The 2nd annual Undergraduate Sociology Symposium is April 19th (12-130 pm in the Chandelier Room in Adams Hall.)
Allan V. Horwitz (Rutgers University) to speak on psychiatry’s construction of mental illness and the DSM-5 on
2013 Summer Study Abroad June 15-30 in Sierra Leone with Prof. Abu Bah. Learn more about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity "African Democracy and Socieo-Economic Development through Sustainable Engineering."
Find out about our global engagement activities, including student reviews of Prof. Bah's 2010 study abroad to Sierra Leone.
Engaging with local communities... and making an impact.
Diane Rodgers and student research team champion landmark status for historic meeting hall in local Finnish community of DeKalb.
Organizing for Social Action. Students succeeded in amending House Bill 180, limiting hate speech at military funerals. Find out more about this exciting class project making a difference in the world here and at NIU Today
Sociology's Annual Alternative Spring Break provides students with a fantastic service learning opportunity building houses with Habitat for Humanity. Jack King has been organizing this engaged learning opportuity since 1995.
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