I am delighted to introduce our 2021 newsletter as the Chair of the Department of Sociology. After successfully guiding us through the many challenges of 2020, Ryan King has accepted the position of Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences. I now have the privilege to lead our department through a much more positive transition — a full return to campus in Fall 2021!
In my 20 years in this department, I have always valued our exceptional spirit of camaraderie and community. I am so proud, though not at all surprised, at the way we have come together despite our physical distance to make this year a success. After quickly pivoting to online teaching, learning, and working, we learned new ways to meaningfully connect with our students and with each other. We stepped up to lend expertise and effort to the extraordinary university-wide efforts to protect our community and our institution. And many faculty members reshaped their research agendas to advance scientific understanding of the nature and consequences of the pandemic and its role in revealing and exacerbating longstanding social inequalities. I am so excited to see all of the great things we can accomplish when we are all back together on the Oval in our beloved Townshend Hall.
We hope this newsletter gives you a glimpse into the many ways we are honoring the Buckeye spirit that we all hold so dear. And I hope that it inspires you to reconnect with the department and join us as we work to create a better Ohio and a better world. Please email us at sociology@osu.edu to learn more.
Warmly,
Kristi Williams
Professor and Department Chair
