A road with snow-covered evergreen trees on either side.

Spring 2023 Issue

Welcome to the Spring 2023 issue of Sociology News!

The Department of Sociology is pleased to announce WSU Sociology’s Centennial Celebration in honor of the department’s 100-year anniversary. The celebration will feature numerous events throughout the 2023-2024 academic year. You can learn more about the history of the department on the Centennial Celebration site.

The site will be updated regularly with more information about our history and as events and activities are scheduled throughout Fall 2023 and Spring 2024, so we encourage you to visit them frequently. The department hopes you are able join us in some of our celebratory activities. And, if you cannot make it to Pullman, Sociology News will document the anniversary in the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 issues.

Serendipitously timed with the 100-year anniversary of the department is the upcoming release of a book about the first three women professors in the WSU Sociology department: Marilyn Ihinger-Tallman, Lois DeFleur, and Sandra Ball-Rokeach. These women are a crucial part of the department’s legacy, and the 100-year celebration will include a book-launch and panel with them. In this issue, we speak with Marilyn Ihinger-Tallman about the upcoming book and her memories of WSU.

With great sadness, we share news of the death of Professor Lisa McIntyre, who passed away in February 2023.

Also in this issue, we feature an interview with sociology Professor Christine Horne regarding her position as WSU Faculty Senate chair.

We highlight the Joseph R. DeMartini Award in Teaching Excellence and Travel Grant, which provides crucial support to graduate students who share the late DeMartini’s passion for teaching.

For our Alumni Spotlight, we caught up with Jessica Crowe (PhD 2008) and Ali Ilhan (PhD 2013).

Additionally, we highlight this year’s Outstanding Senior in sociology, Mason Bartholomei.

We also recognize the many publications, awards, and other accomplishments of our faculty and graduate students since our Fall edition, and we highlight the recent book release of alumnus Jon Dahlem (PhD 2020).

The department thanks you for your continued support and hopes to see you at the upcoming centennial celebration!

Thomas Rotolo, rotolo@wsu.edu

Sadie Ridgeway, sadie.ridgeway@wsu.edu

The logo is a crimson red circle with white text inside reading, "WSU Sociology 100 Years of Excellence. Research, Teaching, Service."
The Centennial Celebration logo.
Caleb and Erik are pictured from the side and seated, smiling towards the camera.
Graduate student Caleb Cooley (left) and Professor and DGS Erik Johnson at the 2023 Pacific Sociological Association Annual Conference in Bellevue, Washington.