From the Chair

Dear Friends of Sociology,

Autumn quarter is off to a good start and, although we face some major challenges in higher education, we’ve had a busy few weeks full of events and activities and continue to focus on the people and projects that try to make our world a better place.

UW Sociologists continue make a difference in our world, including several projects in collaboration with graduate and undergraduate students and different communities including: a recently released report “A Portrait of the Unhoused Population of Seattle, Washington” and the Puyallup Tribal Historic Preservation Department (THPD) Family Data Reclamation Project. 

This work is possible because of the strong sense of community we foster in the department. Kicking things off this fall was our department potluck picnic at Ravenna Park. Our new faculty and graduate students were in attendance, and it was a great way to catch up in a less formal setting.

We also had a lovely evening on October 9 at the UW Waterfront Activities Center to honor our friend, colleague, and former department chair Jerry Herting on his retirement. Coming together as a community to celebrate our colleagues and friends is always a great reminder of what makes the UW Department of Sociology a special place. The weather and the company were beautiful and it was a wonderful way to wish Jerry well in this new chapter of life. 

Thanks to the generous support of people like you and the Earl & Edna Stice Lecture in Social Science Fund, we look forward to hosting several more events and people who are experts in our field including a great SocSEM line up including: Shani Evans, Courtney Boen, Jack Goldstone and Scott Allard. 

John Leverso (PhD, 2020) recently visited campus to speak with graduate students about his unusual journey to his degree and his strategies for building a career around meaningful social research. 

Dave Harris (BA, 1981) will be returning to do a career workshops with undergraduate and graduate students. His presentation will focus on teaching students how to build outstanding professional networks and acquire the skills and knowledge employers seek.

More recent alumni have also gone on to some interesting places and projects. Read our most recent newsletter to learn more about UW Sociologists doing good work in Savery Hall and elsewhere.

As always, we are grateful to the people who continue to support us and cheer on our department during the significant fiscal and political challenges faced by the university. We all remain committed to researching and analyzing the social issues in our world—and finding solutions to make our world a better place.

Thank you for believing in the work that we do! 

Kyle Crowder

Department Chair
Blumstein-Jordan Professor of Sociology

UW Sociologists making a difference...