In Brief

In Brief

Student accomplishments showcased at Annual Banquet

The department recognized graduate and undergraduate achievements at the annual department banquet in April by awarding more than $28,000 in scholarships and travel funds.

From left to right: undergraduate awardees Megan Wales, Norma Lozano, Lindsey Evensen, Jessica Do, Emily Lemke, and undergraduate advisor Dr. Sarah Whitley.
(L-R): Undergraduate awardees Megan Wales, Norma Lozano, Lindsey Evensen, Jessica Do, and Emily Lemke, and undergraduate advisor Dr. Sarah Whitley.
Graduate students pose with Dr. Jennifer Schwartz (center), who received the Louis Gray Graduate Student Advocate Award.
Graduate students stand with Dr. Jennifer Schwartz (fourth from right), who received the Louis Gray Graduate Student Advocate Award.

Professor Emeritus Jim Short attended the banquet, where Sarah Morton and Lindsey Beltz received the graduate research award named in his honor.
Professor Emeritus James Short attended the banquet, where James McCall and Xiao Li received the graduate research award named in Short’s honor.

All awardees:

Undergraduates

Norman & Linda Baer Scholarship – Norma Lozano

Anderson Scholarship – Camille Sessoms

Jewett Scholarship – Wade Ramsey

Herbert and Mary Wensky Neil Scholarship – Sandra Larios

Dolan Scholarship – Jessica Do

Roberts Scholarship – Katie Bufi

Landis Scholarship – Jessica Do

Exceptional Senior Award – Emily Lemke

Graduates

Susan & Sarah Dolan Memorial Scholarship – Gina Castillo

Joseph R. Demartini Travel Grant – Yikang Bai

Joseph R. Demartini Excellence in Teaching Award – Pierce Greenberg

Gordon D. and Izola P. Morgan Graduate Fellowship in Sociology – Jesse Mendiola

Wardwell Alumni Scholarship – Sarah Morton

First Year Award – Sadie Ridgeway

James F. Short Research Award – James McCall and Xiao Li

Dissertation Grant – Michael Lengefeld

Yoder Graduate Fellowship – Ashley Colby, Lauren Scott, James McCall, Nathan Lindstedt, Pierce Greenberg, Darcy Hauslik, Yikang Bat, Adam Roth, Alana Inlow, Xiao Li, Christie Miksys.

Biennial EARThS Symposium highlights environmental issues and challenges
Dan Spencer, professor at University of Montana, delivered the keynote address at the biennial EARThS conference.
Dr. Dan Spencer, professor at University of Montana, delivered the keynote address at the biennial EARThS conference.

WSU Sociology graduate students with an interest in environmental issues organized the biannual 2017 EARThS Symposium on April 1. The conference, which stands for Environment, Agriculture, Resources, Technology, and Society, featured presentations from students across various departments at WSU and the University of Idaho.

The symposium featured Dr. Dan Spencer, professor of environmental studies at University of Montana, as the keynote speaker. His presentation was titled “More Light, Less Heat: Ethics and the Sciences to Resolve Environmental Conflicts in the Anthropocene?” It included an interactive component that challenged participants to identify their positions on solutions to environmental problems.

WSU Sociology graduate students Katie Bittinger, Jon Dahlem, Jordan Burke, Elizabeth Dzialo, Pierce Greenberg, Jake Hammond, Darcy Hauslik, Jerrid Higgins, Michael Lengefeld, and Lauren Scott presented scholarly work at the conference. The conference also included participants from the WSU School of the Environment, School of Economic Sciences, and Department of History.

The conference was organized by EARThS co-chairs Darcy Hauslik, Jon Dahlem, Lauren Scott, and Katie Bittinger, who received her PhD in May.

(L-R): Katie Bittinger (PhD ’17), Joe Astorino (PhD ’15), and PhD candidate Michael Lengefeld at the EARThS conference.

The EARThS conference in 2017 featured local environmental organizations, including Friends of the Clearwater.

Gates Foundation data scientist shares professionalization tips
Agnone (third from left) meets with the Sociology Club.

Dr. Jon Agnone, a research manager and data scientist at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, visited the WSU Sociology department in February to discuss professional career options for sociology majors and PhDs. He met with graduate students and the undergraduate Sociology Club during his visit and talked about how sociological research skills could be applied in non-academic settings.