Sociology News

Mong Awarded a Graduate Studies Grant

Sherry Mong was awarded a Coca-Cola-Critical Difference for Women Graduate Studies Grant for her dissertation research on unpaid labor in home health care. This grant administered by the Department of Women's Studies and the Coca-Cola Critical Difference for Women Research Grants Committee will help to support Sherry in the preparation of her dissertation. Well done!

InsideHigherEd Features Bobbit-Zeher’s Research

Inside Higher Ed devoted an entire news story to Professor Donna Bobbit-Zeher’s presentation at ASA ’09 on the gendered earning gaps attributable to choice of college major. Check out the coverage at http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/08/10/majors or contact Donna at the OSU-Marion campus to learn more about her study.

Maimon Wins an ASA ’09 Award

David Maimon received the Best Publication Award from the Sociology of Mental Health Section of ASA for his paper, “Social Control and Youth Suicidality: Situating Durkheim’s Ideas in a Multilevel Framework,” coauthored with Danielle Kuhl. This article appears in the 2008 American Sociological Review (vol. 73: no. 6). Congratulations David!

Honorable Mention for McDaniel at ASA ‘09

Anne McDaniel received honorable mention for her paper submitted to the David Lee Stevenson Graduate Student Paper competition, sponsored by ASA’s section on Sociology of Education. Nice going Anne!

Saporu Places 2nd in ABS Paper Competition

Darlene Saporu won second place in the Graduate Student Paper Competition sponsored by the Association of Black Sociologists. Congratulations Darlene!

Honorable Mention for Maher at ASA ‘09

Tom Maher’s paper, “Threat, Resistance, and Mobilization” was awarded an Honorable Mention for Outstanding Graduate Student Paper from the ASA section on Collective Behavior and Social Movements. Kudos to Tom!

McDaniel Awarded a Presidential Fellowship

Doctoral candidate, Anne McDaniel has been awarded a Presidential Fellowship to work on her dissertation, unimpeded by other duties for one full year. Recipients of this award embody the highest standards of scholarship among Ohio State graduate students. Congratulations to Anne on this outstanding honor.

Patton, Saporu & Williams - AGEP-SBES Awardees

Graduate students - Charles Patton, Darlene Saporu, and Lisa Williams - have received Graduate Student Research Grants from The Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) for Social and Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBES) program. These research grants from the AGEP/SBES program will support Charles, Darlene, and Lisa for summer quarter, 2009. Congratulations!

Mong an AGGRS Awardee

Doctoral candidate, Sherry Mong received a merit award from Ohio State called the Alumni Grant for Graduate Research and Scholarship (AGGRS). This award will help support her dissertation research on home healthcare. Sherry's research project is a qualitative study of the paid and unpaid labor processes in complex home healthcare (and the teaching and learning processes that surround them). Home healthcare provides a good alternative to hospitalization in terms of health outcomes for patients, but we know very little about the burdens and unmet needs of family caregivers. Sherry's research promises to help us better understand the process of home healthcare, with implications for the sociology of work, medical sociology, and policymaking. Kudos to Sherry!

Vespa Wins Poster Award at PAA Meetings

Graduate student Jonathan Vespa won an award for his poster entitled, "From Generation to Generation: The Influence of Parental Upbringing on Parenting Behaviors," presented at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America, held this year in Detroit. A round of applause for Jon!

Kaufman Becoming a Department Chair at Temple

Bob Kaufman, Professor of Sociology and Associate Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Ohio State, is leaving to become chair of the Department of Sociology at Temple University. This transition will take place over the summer, sometime between June and July. Bob has been with the Department of Sociology at Ohio State for more than two decades and has chaired the Department in addition to most recently serving as an associate dean. Bob will be sorely missed as a researcher, mentor, teacher, and colleague. Beyond his professional attributes, and beyond his collegial personality, Bob is one of the nicest human beings one could ever know. The department wishes Bob well with his new endeavors at Temple!

Sociology’s Ph.D. Program Goes Up in USN&WR Rankings

U.S. News & World Report rankings of Ph.D. programs in the Social Sciences & Humanities published that the Sociology Graduate Program at Ohio State University climbed to #17 among America’s best graduate programs in the field. The department’s specialty area in Social Stratification ranked eighth nationally.

Carlson Wins 2nd Place in Hayes Forum

Graduate Student Dan Carlson’s paper placed second in the Social and Behavioral Sciences division of the Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum, co-sponsored by the Council of Graduate Students, the Graduate School, and the Office of Research. His paper was entitled, “Parenthood, Life Course Expectations, and Mental Health.” He will receive a cash award and a travel grant to support the presentation of his research at an academic conference. Kudos to Dan for giving a great presentation at the forum!

Jordan Wins 3-year NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Graduate student Nick Jordan was awarded three years of funding from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). Congratulations Nick on this exceptional honor!

Schwirian Receives a Distinguished Career Award

Kent Schwirian, Professor Emeritus, will receive the 2009 Milton Yinger Lifetime Distinguished Career Award from the North Central Sociological Association (NCSA). He will receive the award at the 2009 NCSA Annual Meeting in April. Congratulations Kent!

Qian & Lichter Quoted in the Washington Post

Professor Zhenchao Qian and Dan Lichter (former OSU sociology professor, now a faculty at Cornell) were heavily cited in a March 8 Washington Post article by Annie Gowen entitled, “Immigrants' Children Look Closer for Love: More Young Adults Are Seeking Partners of Same Ethnicity.” Qian and Lichter’s work on the declining cultural and economic assimilation among Hispanic and Asian immigrants in terms of marrying partners of other races finds a significant and changing demographic trend. Although interracial marriages have increased overall, the rate of Hispanics and Asians marrying partners from other races has declined in the past two decades.

Williams Awarded Summer Research Assistantship

Graduate student Lisa Marie Williams was granted a summer research award from The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) and the The Ohio State University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS). Congratulations Lisa!

Jacobs Quoted in the Columbus Dispatch

Professor David Jacobs was quoted in an article in the December 4th Columbus Dispatch about crime, the size of a police force, and what has the biggest impact on crime rates. Check out the article in the Dispatch, by Elizabeth Gibson, entitled, “Most say city's safe, but whether it can stay that way with fewer officers is debatable” to read more about these local politics.

Matthew Wins the Top Three Spot in a Paper Contest

Doctoral student Maliq Matthew won the 3rd place prize in the student paper competition at the Midwest Sociological Society (MSS). His paper was entitled, "Effort Optimism in the Classroom: Attitudes of Black and White Students about Academic Achievement, Social Structure and the Causes of Life Opportunities" Congratulations!

Roscigno Becomes President of SSS

Professor Vinnie Roscigno has been chosen President-Elect of the Southern Sociology Society; he will serve a one-year term as the President for 2009-2010. Congratulations!

Feldmann Transitions to a New Career

It is with great regret that the department reports the resignation of Rob Feldmann after his years of service to the department as the Web Coordinator/Developer and Carmen Support Specialist. He will be taking a new job with the Ohio Department of Aging in mid-February. We will miss Rob and wish him well as he moves on to follow other pursuits.

Edwards’ Book & Research Featured on PBS

Professor Korie Edwards’ book, “The Elusive Dream: The Power of Race in Interracial Churches” is garnering widespread media attention. In September, Korie was invited to talk about her book on two radio shows: The Reggie Bryant Show and The Wilmer Leon Show. She also appeared in December on the PBS television series, “Religion and Ethics Newsweekly,” during an episode called, “Interracial Churches.” Check out her media appearance online at: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/by-topic/african-american/december-19-2008-interracial-churches/1734/.

Peterson honored at ASC with a "Lifetime Achievement Award"

Each year at the annual meetings of the American Society of Criminology (ASC), the Division on People of Color & Crime (DPCC) gives a small number of awards to members who have made important contributions to their field. During this year’s 2008 ASC meetings, the DPCC honored Professor Ruth Peterson with the "Lifetime Achievement Award," the organization’s highest award for outstanding contributions to the field of criminology, Congratulations Ruth!

Paxton's trust research featured in Greater Good Magazine

Professor Pam Paxton, along with the senior editor of Greater Good Magazine, Jeremy Smith consider trust the key to a healthy society, but note that it has been on the decline for some time. The authors identify steps that institutions can take to inspire trust among constituents. For example, government protection of minority rights through voting protections and antidiscrimination policies can facilitate trust and cooperation among citizens. Another way to rebuild trust is to form bridges between groups. Paxton finds that membership organizations that segregate themselves from others erode trust in their societies. In contrast, nations with a range of membership organizations that come together to reach common goals or close social divides have higher levels of overall trust among citizens. Check out the article, “America's Trust Fall,” found in the Fall 2008 issue of Greater Good Magazine (Vol. 5 No. 2: pp 14-17).

Harrison Awarded an OSU Presidential Fellowship

Jill Harrison will receive a one-year Presidential Fellowship from the OSU Graduate School. These fellowships recognize stellar graduate students entering the last phase of their dissertation research and provide financial support so that the student may devote full-time study to the completion of the dissertation. Well done Jill!

Malone & Jordan Recognized for Academic Achievement

Congratulations to first-year graduate students Chad Malone and Nick Jordan who were both recently awarded a Derby Scholarship from the Graduate School for recognition of their academic achievements.

Huber gives Second Annual Alice & Peter Rossi Lecture

Professor Emeritus Joan Huber, Ohio State University, along with Sheila Tobias, Independent Scholar, delivered the Second Annual Alice and Peter Rossi Lecture on September 25, 2008 at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. This year’s lecture focused on the contributions of Alice Rossi to politics, feminism, and science.

Mesch becomes the new editor of Sociological Focus

OSU Alumni (Ph.D., 1993) Professor Gustavo Mesch, was selected to become the new editor of the North Central Sociological Association’s official journal, Sociological Focus. Professor Mesch, a prolific scholar, is the Chair of the Department of Sociology at the University of Haifa, Israel. Congratulations to Gustavo on his new appointment and thanks to Kent Schwirian for assisting with the search!

Curry oversees the Office on Academic Misconduct

Professor Tim Curry was chosen to be the Director of the Office on Academic Misconduct in the Office of Academic Affairs. Best wishes to Tim in his new position!

Petts’ work featured in The Lantern

A recent former OSU graduate student in sociology, Richard Petts, and his study on religion and depression, made front-page news in OSU’s daily paper. He conducted the study with Anne Jolliff when they were both doctoral students at Ohio State. Jolliff is now a research coordinator at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Their study suggests that for some minorities, high religious involvement may contribute to depressive symptoms, which differs from previous studies that suggest that religion can be a buffer from despair. Professor Petts can be reached at his new job placement in the Department of Sociology at Ball State University.

In Memory of Casey G. Knutson, 1979 - 2008

Columbus, Ohio / Poynette -- Casey G. Knutson, age 29, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at his home in Ohio. He was born on October 1, 1979, in Madison, the son of Duane Knutson and Jeanette Knutson Enright.

Casey graduated with honors from Poynette High School in 1998. A lover of baseball from early childhood, he excelled in it through high school, receiving all-conference honors in his senior year. His fast pitch softball prowess started at age 12 and culminated at age 18 as a member of the National Fast Pitch Championship team. Casey earned his bachelor’s degree in 2003 from UW-Whitewater, with an interim stop to study in Sweden for one semester, graduati...

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Cooksey Awarded ESRC-SSRC Visiting Scholar Fellowship

Congratulations to Elizabeth Cooksey who has been awarded an ESRC-SSRC Visiting Scholar Fellowship for one year to study the effects of maternal employment on children's development in Britain and the United States with Economist Professor Heather Joshi at London University. Professor Cooksey is the Principal Investigator of the Child and Young Adult portion of the NLSY79 and Professor Joshi, as Director of the Centre for Longitudinal Studies at the Institute of Education, has responsibility for the British Cohort Studies.

Wilson assumes Instruction Coordinator role for the Department

Professor Debbie Wilson has agreed to be the department’s Instruction Coordinator. Her duties will include making graduate student assignments and planning course offerings. We welcome Debbie to her new role in the department!

Alum Bob Kunovich Recently Awarded Tenure

Robert M. Kunovich (Ohio State, PhD 2001) was awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor of sociology at the University of Texas at Arlington. Congratulations!

Buchmann & DiPrete Win 'Outstanding Article Award in Education' at ASA

Congratulations to Claudia Buchmann whose paper, along with Tom DiPrete, titled “The Growing Female Advantage in College Completion: The Role of Parental Resources and Academic Achievement” (American Sociological Review) received the ASA's Sociology of Education Section's OUTSTANDING ARTICLE AWARD last week.

McDaniel receives the IEA Bruce Choppin Award for her MA thesis

Congratulations to Anne McDaniel, who received the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement’s 2008 Bruce Choppin Award for the best master’s thesis submitted in educational studies.

Bryan & Moulta-Ali Awarded NSF AGEP-SBES Program Travel Grants

Graduate students Derrick Bryan and Umar Moulta-Ali were awarded travel grants from The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) and the The Ohio State University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS). Derrick was one of eight graduate students nationwide chose to participate in a research conference on Urban Ethnography at Yale University in April while Umar was one of eight graduate students nationwide chosen to participate in a research conference on Sociological Perspectives on Climate Change at the NSF in Arlington, Virginia in May. Best wishes to both of these outstanding young scholars!

Jacobs’ Research on Race & Death Row Mentioned on the TJMS

Professor Dave Jacobs’ research on the inherent problems of racial bias and disparities in the US capital punishment system was included on a May 8 segment of the Tom Joyner Morning Show (TMJS). The TMJS airs nationwide and is considered one of the most influential programs on urban radio. Congratulations Dave!

Downey Quoted in Newsweek

Professor Douglas Downey, was quoted in Kathleen Deveny’s June 2 “Newsweek” article entitled, “Why 'Only-Children' Rule” (see http://www.newsweek.com/id/138538 ). He comments on his research findings that 'only-children' and children with a lone sibling tend to perform better academically and stay in school longer than children who are part of a larger sibling group. It is always great to see press coverage of someone’s work we are familiar with in the department. Congratulations Doug!

Meyer Elected President of SSSR

Professor Kay Meyer, has been elected the new President of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. This group focuses on social scientific research about religious institutions and experiences. Kudos to Kay on being elected to this important position!

Light Receives a Presidential Fellowship from OSU’s Graduate Program

Doctoral candidate, Ryan Light received a Presidential Fellowship from the Ohio State Graduate School. This fellowship is awarded to graduate students entering the final phase of their dissertation so that they may devote one year to the completing it unimpeded by other duties. Recipients of this award embody the highest standards of scholarship in Ohio State graduate programs. Congratulations Ryan!

Lobao Elected a 2008 AAAS Fellow

Professor Linda Lobao, of the Rural Sociology program at the Ohio State University, was elected an American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow, for her distinguished contributions to the field of rural sociology. Lobao’s work focuses on agricultural and industrial changes that affect communities, households, and individuals. For more information, check out the ASA Footnotes article at (http://www.asanet.org/footnotes/apr08/fellows_0408.html)

Peterson & Krivo ASA Reps at an exhibition on Capitol Hill

Professors Ruth Peterson and Laurie Krivo were invited by American Sociological Association (ASA) to participate in the 14th annual Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF) Exhibition & Reception on Capitol Hill, held Wednesday, June 25, 2008. They exhibited their research in a poster on “Race, Residence & Crime: A Structure of Inequality.” The exhibition included 37 other innovative research and education projects supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Members of Congress and congressional committee member staff, the leadership of NSF and representatives from the White House and other policymaking and research agencies attended. A press release is available at(http://www.asanet.org/cs/press/view_news?pressrelease.id=421). Also check out (http://www.asanet.org/cs/root/leftnav/advocacy/2008_exhibition_cnsf) and (http://www.asanet.org/footnotes/septoct08/cap_hill.html). Many congratulations to these two outstanding criminologists!

Chaney weighs in on the Death Penalty Debate

Brenda Chaney, senior lecturer of Sociology and Criminology at OSU Marion, was featured in the “Ask the expert” section of OSU’s “onCampus” newspaper. She discusses the complexities of why many Americans still support the death penalty despite their belief that innocent people have been put to death and when overall crime rates seem to be on the decline. To learn more, check out the article in the June 19 issue at (http://oncampus.osu.edu/article.php?id=2193.)

Rosenberg Receives 2007 Halbert E. Dunn Award

OSU Sociology Alum Harry M. Rosenberg, Ph.D., (1972), received the 2007 Halbert E. Dunn Award from the National Association of Public Health Statistics and Information Systems. He was a graduate student member of the CHRR (Center for Human Resource Research) at OSU in the early 70s. This award is the highest recognition given by the Association for contributions to public health statistics. A Fellow of the American Statistical Association, Harry, retired, spent much of his career at the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) where he was Chief of the Mortality Statistics Branch, Division of Vital Statistics. NCHS is part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Harry was also the first Head of the World Health Organization’s Mortality Reference Group, which is concerned with updating the International Classification of Diseases. At OSU, Harry focused on demography and methodology; his thesis was on the relationship between female labor force participation and fertility. He remembers his years at OSU as very intellectually stimulating, a wonderful environment. “We struggled through Abraham Kaplan’s, 'Toward a Theory of Inquiry,' one chapter at a time, debating the meaning of every sentence…rather like Talmudic scholars.” Harry is married to Dr. Barbara Filner; they reside in Bethesda, Maryland. He can be reached at HarryMRosenberg@aol.com.

Graduating seniors in Sociology in the ‘08 Denman Forum

The Denman Forum will be held on Wednesday, May 14. At the annual Denman Forum, Ohio State's best undergraduate researchers will talk about their work. Over 400 students will be presenting. Five Sociology graduating seniors will be in the forum: Nicholas Jordan, Meredith Ross, Luis Sanchez, Lynanne Wolf-Sabatino, and Jeness Woodard. Congratulations to these seniors and their faculty advisors for getting them involved in sophisticated research.

Gibbs and McCloud Win GATA Awards

Benjamin Gibbs and Laura McCloud received Graduate Student Teaching Awards and were among ten graduate students selected across the entire university for this award. The GATA award is Ohio State's highest form of recognition for graduate teaching associates who exhibit exceptional teaching. We should be proud of both our students and our department for consistently producing award-winning instructors. Best wishes to Ben and Lauri!

Paxton and Hughes' Research on Women and Politics is Timely

According to Pam Paxton, associate professor of sociology and political science and OSU doctoral student in Sociology, Melanie Hughes -- the Unites States is fairly run of the mill when it comes to women's roles in politics. In terms of political equality for women, the U.S. ranks in the middle compared to most other countries. Paxton and Hughes are the authors of a recent book on women and global politics entitled, "Women, Politics, and Power: A Global Perspective" (Pine Forge Press, 2007). According to Paxton, the candidacy of Hillary Clinton for president has broken new ground in the United States, but the nation still trails behind many other countries in terms of women's political representation.

Media Covers Buchmann et al’s Work on Costly SAT Prep Courses and the College Admissions Edge

Professor Claudia Buchmann’s research on SAT preparation was mentioned in a March 1 L.A. Times article. She finds that students from higher-income families are more likely to use SAT preparation tools such as classes and tutors that in turn gives them an advantage when applying for college. Buchmann worked on this research with coauthors Professor Vincent Roscigno and Dennis Condron, an OSU PhD alumni and now assistant professor of sociology at Emory University.

Sayer in the Media

Professor Liana Sayer’s research on working women being more likely to seek divorces when they are unhappily married was mentioned in the Wall Street Journal on March 20. Sayer is conducting this study with other researchers at Stanford and finds that working women leave dissatisfying marriages at higher rates than do women who do not work outside the home.

PhD Alumni Davies and Pelak Excel

Former OSU doctoral student, Professor Kim Davies (PhD 1996) recently published her first textbook, “The Murder Book: Examining Homicide,” with Prentice Hall. Davies is an Associate Professor & Department Chair at Augusta State University in The Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice and Social Work. Professor Cynthia Fabrizio Pelak (OSU PhD, 2002) won the ‘Sociology of Sport Journal’ Outstanding Article Award (2006) for her 2005 paper entitled, "Athletes as Agents of Change: An Examination of Shifting Race Relations within Women's Netball in Post-Apartheid South Africa.” Pelak is part of the Department of Sociology at the University of Memphis. This is exciting news from our alumni!

Taylor Receives Two Distinguished Career Awards

Former OSU Faculty Member (1976-2002) and OSU PhD alumni (1976) in Sociology, Professor Verta Taylor (UC Santa Barbara) was recently given two distinguished career awards. On April 19, she received the 2008 Simon & Gagnon Distinguished Career Award from the ASA Section on Sexualities. On April 26, she will receive the Distinguished Career Award for her contributions to Social Movements Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Be sure to congratulate Verta when she returns to our department as a brownbag speaker on May 23 to give a talk titled, “The San Francisco Same-Sex Weddings Protests: the Political Significance of Cultural Tactics.”

Byron , Painter and Vespa the Recipients of Hayes Forum Awards

Graduate students Reginald Byron, Matthew Painter, and Jonathan Vespa received awards at the 22nd Annual Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum held on April 12, 2008. Byron won first place in the Business section of the forum for his research paper entitled, "Stereotypes and the Bottom Line: Learning Lessons from Gender-Based Firing Discrimination Cases." Painter and Vespa received third place in the Social and Behavioral Sciences for their work entitled, "The Path to Marriage: Cohabitation and Wealth Accumulation." Please take a moment to congratulate our own 2008 Hayes Graduate Research Forum award recipients.

Media Covers Alums Singh & Siahpush’s Work on the Lifespan Gap Amongst the U.S. Rich & Poor

OSU sociology alums Gopal Singh (PhD 1991) and Mohammad Siahpush (PhD 1990) were featured in a March 23 New York Times article on life expectancy differences between the affluent and lower-income people. Gopal currently works as a demographer at the Department of Health and Human Services and his co-researcher Mohammad is a professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Best wishes to these former OSU sociology students!

Browning’s Neighborhood Research Sparks Media Interest

Professor Christopher Browning and co-authors Ming Wen of the University of Utah and Kate Cagney of the University of Chicago find that neighborhoods play a major role in motivating or discouraging residents to exercise. A short New York Times article published on March 25 titled, “Exercise: Tying Neighborhoods to Fitness Efforts” focused exclusively on their recent empirical paper published in the journal “Urban Studies.” Well done!

Roscigno et al’s Research on Age Discrimination Generates Extensive Media Coverage

Professor Vinnie Roscigno, sociology graduate student co-authors Sherry Mong and Reginald Byron, and Griff Tester -- PhD graduate of Ohio State and now an assistant professor at Georgia State University -- have become popular in the media as a result of their work on age discrimination in employment. Various new stories and radio interviews have focused on their September 2007 Social Forces article that examines ageism and workplace inequality. Congratulations to all of the investigators on this project!

Slaten Awarded a Carnegie Endowment Junior Fellowship

Kevin Slaten received the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Junior Fellowship for his work on China. He recently received his BA in Sociology and Political Science with Honors from Ohio State. Congratulations!

Cooksey in the News

Professor Elizabeth Cooksey was quoted in a November Associated Press article on why parents might be fostering more educational opportunities for their children. She suggests that parents are encountering more outside pressure to be active in nurturing their child’s educational achievement. Check out the article by Stephen Ohlemacher first published on November 1, 2007.

Slomczynski is the Huber Award Recipient

Congratulations to Dr. Maciek Slomczynski, Professor of Sociology, who received the Joan N. Huber Award from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences!