The new Crutchfield-Tolnay Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research will be given annually to an undergraduate who has made strong contributions to either independent or collaborative research in the Department of Sociology. In addition to being recognized at our annual department graduation event, the recipient will receive a $1000 award.
Students are nominated by Sociology professors, instructors, and TAs and selected by the department’s Awards & Community Life Committee, which then makes its recommendations to the Chair. Only graduating seniors are eligible.
Robert Crutchfield chaired the Department of Sociology from 1998 to 2003 and again from 2008 to 2011, while Stewart Tolnay chaired the department from 2003 to 2008. Both were excellent mentors for scores of students and provided excellent mentorship of undergraduate students engaging in their first experiences with research.
This award is made possible through the generosity of Kyle Crowder, current Department Chair and Blumstein-Jordan Professor of Sociology, and Dave Harris a former student of Bob Crutchfield and the creator of Become the Dog Star, a leadership development program dedicated to helping students stand out in the marketplace.