Fall/Winter 2016-17

Sociology Club officers Kory Hardcastle and Norma Loranzo started the semester by advertising the club on the Terrell Mall in August.

Welcome to the Fall/Winter 2016-17 Issue of Sociology News!

This winter has felt particularly long on the Palouse as the snow has persisted into March. But the cold temperatures have not slowed down the Sociology Department!

We begin this newsletter with an exciting announcement: Monica Kirkpatrick Johnson will assume the role of departmental chair starting in the fall, following the completion of Lisa McIntyre’s eight years in that role. We are grateful for Dr. McIntyre’s long and dedicated service, and look forward to Dr. Johnson’s leadership in the coming months and years.

We also review many of the undergraduate, graduate, and faculty happenings over the last six months. Our first piece checks in with the undergraduate Sociology Club, which is advised by Dr. Sarah Whitley (PhD, 2012). The group has been active in a number of events since the start of the school year, including fundraisers, movie showings, and guest lectures.

The second feature in this issue highlights Drs. Jennifer Schwartz and Erik Johnson, who are pursuing an exciting new research agenda on environmental crime. Their work combines environmental sociology and criminology—two longstanding foci of WSU Sociology—to understand more about those involved in committing and prosecuting environmental laws.

We also check in with three PhD alumni who have taken three very different career paths since graduating WSU. Lyssa Thaden (PhD, 2010) discusses her path to managing director at Access Group, Michael Sullivan (PhD, 1984) revisits his career as a consultant, and Deborah Thorne (PhD, 2001) talks about a career path that led her back to the Palouse.

As is custom, we also list the department’s 2016 publications and awards. We highlight Dr. Julie Kmec, who was recently recognized with the prestigious Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching.

Finally, our department was saddened about the loss of sophomore sociology major Dashiell Mortell, who died in a car accident in January. We compiled some memories of Dashiell from the Daily Evergreen and other news sources—including some of the social issues and causes he cared deeply about.

Please let us know if you have any questions, comments, or feedback.

Don Dillman, dillman@wsu.edu

Pierce Greenberg, pierce.greenberg@wsu.edu