UNLV Sociology Department


	Department News Dr. Christie Batson will be joining our department in the Fall of 2007. She comes to us from Ohio State University, and her areas of interest include immigration, population, inequality, and demography. We have also seen quite a few graduates over the past year. Kathryn Gilpatric received her PhD in December, and Kael Goodwin, Crystal Jackson, and Brooke Wagner have all received their MAs this April. Recent Faculty and Graduate Student Award Winners: · Anastasia Prokos-- College of Liberal Arts William Morris Award for Excellence in Teaching Past Winners Include Jennifer Keene, Robert Futrell, Kate Hausbeck, and Ron Smith · Donald Carnes -- Awarded Status Emeritus · Bo Bernhard--International Programs Faculty International Development Award · Barb Brents--Regents' Academic Advisor Award · Wes Brumbaugh--Academic Merit Scholarship and the C. Wright Mills Award · Shanon Carlson--Mitzi Hughes Alumni Association Award and the Albrecht Alumni Association Award (See note below) · Monique Diderich--Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award · Marybel Gomez--Sidney Green Award · Kate Hausbeck--UNLV Graduate College Outstanding Graduate Faculty Award · Leah Howard--C. Wright Mills Award · Deo Mshigeni--UNLV Presidential Dissertation Fellowship · Chris Read--Academic Merit Scholarship · Nicole Rogers--Outstanding MA Student Award · Ron Smith--UNLV Outstanding Department Chair Award On May 25, 2005 one of Sociology's top undergraduate students, Shanon Carlsen, was killed in a head-on car collision near Needles, Ca. She was on her way to visit her grandmother who had recently fallen ill. Shanon was recently awarded the 2005 Mitzi Hughes Alumni Association Award and the 2005 Albrecht Alumni Association Award for her excellent work in sociology. She was also recently accepted into the Honors College and had developed a great thesis topic dealing with the growth of what she called, "isolation individualism" in the West. She was becoming well versed in arguments from Hobbes and Locke to Tocqueville, Macpherson, Bellah, and Putnam. She had planned to attend graduate school and pursue a career in academia. We have no doubt that she would have made it with flying colors and left her mark on the field. Most importantly, she was one of the nicest persons we have known. Her death is very tragic from several standpoints. She will be greatly missed. Two UNLV Sociology graduates have recently published books. · James David Ballard, 2005. Terrorism, Media and Public Policy: the Oklahoma City Bombing. NJ: Hampton Press. Ballard is a professor at the California State University, Northridge. · Kurt Borchard, 2005. The Word on the Street: Homeless Men in Las Vegas, Reno: University of Nevada Press. Borchard is a professor at the University of Nebraska, Kearney.

Department News

Dr. Christie Batson will be joining our department in the Fall of 2007. She comes to us from Ohio State University, and her areas of interest include immigration, population, inequality, and demography.

We have also seen quite a few graduates over the past year. Kathryn Gilpatric received her PhD in December, and Kael Goodwin, Crystal Jackson, and Brooke Wagner have all received their MAs this April.

Recent Faculty and Graduate Student Award Winners:

· Anastasia Prokos-- College of Liberal Arts William Morris Award for Excellence in Teaching

Past Winners Include Jennifer Keene, Robert Futrell, Kate Hausbeck, and Ron Smith

· Donald Carnes -- Awarded Status Emeritus
· Bo Bernhard--International Programs Faculty International Development Award
· Barb Brents--Regents' Academic Advisor Award
· Wes Brumbaugh--Academic Merit Scholarship and the C. Wright Mills Award
· Shanon Carlson--Mitzi Hughes Alumni Association Award and the Albrecht Alumni Association Award (See note below)
· Monique Diderich--Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award
· Marybel Gomez--Sidney Green Award
· Kate Hausbeck--UNLV Graduate College Outstanding Graduate Faculty Award
· Leah Howard--C. Wright Mills Award
· Deo Mshigeni--UNLV Presidential Dissertation Fellowship
· Chris Read--Academic Merit Scholarship
· Nicole Rogers--Outstanding MA Student Award
· Ron Smith--UNLV Outstanding Department Chair Award

On May 25, 2005 one of Sociology's top undergraduate students, Shanon Carlsen, was killed in a head-on car collision near Needles, Ca. She was on her way to visit her grandmother who had recently fallen ill. Shanon was recently awarded the 2005 Mitzi Hughes Alumni Association Award and the 2005 Albrecht Alumni Association Award for her excellent work in sociology. She was also recently accepted into the Honors College and had developed a great thesis topic dealing with the growth of what she called, "isolation individualism" in the West. She was becoming well versed in arguments from Hobbes and Locke to Tocqueville, Macpherson, Bellah, and Putnam. She had planned to attend graduate school and pursue a career in academia. We have no doubt that she would have made it with flying colors and left her mark on the field. Most importantly, she was one of the nicest persons we have known. Her death is very tragic from several standpoints. She will be greatly missed.

Two UNLV Sociology graduates have recently published books.

· James David Ballard, 2005. Terrorism, Media and Public Policy: the Oklahoma City Bombing. NJ: Hampton Press. Ballard is a professor at the California State University, Northridge.
· Kurt Borchard, 2005. The Word on the Street: Homeless Men in Las Vegas, Reno: University of Nevada Press. Borchard is a professor at the University of Nebraska, Kearney.