Sociology Department Awards

The Department of Sociology recognizes outstanding sociology students with various merit awards.

Each fall, the sociology faculty select accomplished undergraduates for awards – The Distinguished Scholar Award and the Joan W. Moore Service Scholar Award. Our awardees are recognized at our annual awards ceremony, held each spring. No student application is required.

Each winter, the sociology faculty select accomplished graduate students for awards who are also recognized at the spring celremony. Graduate awards are not necessarily given each academic year and there is no student application process.

Distinguished Scholar Award
This award recognizes outstanding achievement in the major by a senior undergraduate, who has demonstrated commitment to the field of sociology. The recipient of this award is nominated by professors who are familiar with her/his academic work and then selected by the entire Sociology faculty.

Joan W. Moore Service-Scholar Award
This award honors Professor Emerita Joan W. Moore, whose career has been a model of combining scholarly excellence with exemplary service. Professor Moore is an internationally-known scholar in areas of Mexican-American social experience, inequality, and gang life. This award honors senior undergraduate sociology majors who have both distinguished academic records and a history of service in the university or the wider community. Recipients of this award will be students who have practiced sociology in the world and whose scholarship has been enriched by exceptional service.

Academic Merit Scholarship
Periodically there may be additional academic merit scholarships given to high-achieving sociology majors.