Every year, the Department of Sociology is proud to recognize the achievements of its undergraduate and graduate students and its faculty through a variety of annual awards.
If you wish to support the awards and fellowships below, please see our support page.
Undergraduate Student Awards
Albert W. Black Undergraduate Community Service Award
Howard B. Woolston Award for Academic Excellence
Award for Senior Undergraduates. Go here for information.
Graduate Student Awards
Graduate Student Student Research Funding Award
Instituted by the Sociology department in Winter of 2018, this award is available to current Sociology graduate students.
Go here for information.
Norman S. Hayner Endowment Award
Norman S. Hayner was a distinguished member of the Department of Sociology who specialized in the areas of crime and family. His family established this endowment in his memory in 1987. In accord with the wishes of Mrs. Hayner, the income is to be used to acknowledge a highly promising undergraduate or graduate student in sociology, with preference to be given to students specializing in criminology or the family.
Award for Excellence as a Teaching Assistant
There are two criteria for this award: faculty recommendations and student ratings. Teaching Assistants perform in many different capacities, which depend on the course and the professor they are working with. Using these criteria, the Awards Committee select the recipient or recipients from among our many fine TAs.
Award for Excellence in Teaching
This award is given to an advanced graduate student who has served as an instructor in a number of his or her own courses. Nominations are solicited from faculty members regarding the overall teaching performance of our senior students. The award is based on a sustained record of excellence in teaching.
Award for Outstanding Performance for the Master of Arts Degree
All students who have completed the M.A. degree within the preceding 12-month period are eligible for this award. The primary criterion for this award is the M.A. thesis. The members of the Awards Committee read and independently evaluate each of the theses. In addition, the committee carefully evaluates the overall course performance, as well as GPA in various required courses of the M.A. program.
Herbert L. Costner Distinguished Graduate Student Paper Award
Solo-authored papers that are published, in press, or of publishable quality are eligible for the Herbert L. Costner Distinguished Graduate Student Paper Award. All sociology students enrolled and in residence during the academic year in which the award will be given are eligible to submit a paper for consideration. The award recipient will receive one quarter of Research Assistantship support in recognition of his/her accomplishment. For the 2018 Costner Award, the funding must be used within the following academic year (2018-2019).**
During this quarter the student will be expected to work closely with his/her advisor to further his/her publication record.
**Students who received Costner awards prior to Spring 2016 may use their awards at any time they choose.
- One paper submission for the award per student allowed.
Otto N. Larsen Dissertation Award
Otto N. Larsen (January 23, 1922 - May 20, 2007) received his Ph.D. in 1955 from the University of Washington, Department of Sociology, and began an appointment as an Assistant Professor of Sociology in the Fall of 1955. He served as Chair of the Department from 1971 - 1972. Professor Larsen's areas of expertise focused on mass communication, media, and violence. Professor Larsen was gregarious, fun-loving, and occasionally irreverent, but he was also a creative, effective, and highly admired teacher, who was deeply serious about social science. Professor Larsen retired in 1986, and continued as an Emeritus Professor until his death in 2007. This award reflects his commitment to the advancement of knowledge, and provides an award to a promising dissertation that has the potential to make a significant contribution to the field.
Hubert M. Blalock Minority Student Award
Hubert (Tad) Blalock was a Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington from 1971 - 1989, and Professor Emeritus until 1991. He was President of the American Sociological Association in 1978-79, and Chair of the Faculty Senate at the University of Washington in 1984-85. Tad was recognized world-wide as an accomplished sociologist. His many books and articles made important contributions in the areas of methodology, statistics, conflict, and race relations. One of his strongest commitments was to the training of minority students in sociology. Upon his death in 1991, the Blalock Minority Student Award was created by his family to assist graduate students in their studies at the University of Washington. An award will be made to an incoming graduate student.
Clarence and Elissa M. Schrag Graduate Fellowship
Clarence Schrag is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Washington where he has been a faculty member since 1950. He was Chairman of the Department at the time of his retirement in 1983. Dr. Schrag has had a distinguished career in academia, balancing it with service to state and federal agencies dealing with crime corrections and justice. The Schrags' commitment to community is a result of their experiences growing up in rural Washington and this commitment has been strengthened greatly by their adult experiences. These experiences have impressed on them the value of an opportunity-filled life.
Faculty Awards
Faculty Excellence in Teaching
This award is given to a member of the faculty who demonstrates high quality teaching (graduate and/or undergraduate). Nominations are made by all sociology graduate students who worked as a Teaching Assistant within an academic year. Selection is based on course evaluations, the observations of Teaching Assistants, and any supporting documents that might be provided. The Senior Teaching Associate serves as the chair of the selection committee.
Faculty Excellence in Graduate Training
This award is given to a member of the department that demonstrates high quality mentoring and high quality teaching in graduate seminars. Nominations for this award will be made by a vote of all graduate students currently in the program