Undergraduate Studies Updates

Sociology Faculty and 2025 Sociology Graduates pose in front of Campanile

Undergraduate Studies Committee

Members of the Undergraduate Studies Committee for 2025-2026 were Tracey LaPierre (Director), Elizabeth Anderson, Kevin McCannon, Tyler Myroniuk, Pam Rooks, Paul Stock, and Lisa-Marie Wright. 

Undergraduate Recognition Ceremony

At our 2026 Undergraduate Recognition Ceremony, faculty, graduates, family and friends gathered for a ceremony and reception honoring our graduating majors and their notable achievements. Megan Long was celebrated as our Distinguished Graduate and Joy Haney and Megan Long were recognized as Candidates for Graduation with Highest Distinction. 

Three students graduated with Departmental Honors: 
Holly Christensen (Thesis: The Effects of Intergenerational Criminality in Adolescence on Recidivism in Early Adulthood; Mentor: Assistant Professor Liz Felix),
Megan Long (Thesis: Fuzzy Fidelity and Political Conservatism: A Categorical Analysis of Religious Identity and Behavior; Mentor: Professor Argun Saatcioglu), 
and Chloe Peacock (Thesis: Navigating Misinformation in the Age of AI: How College Students News Sources Shape Political Trust and Voting Intentions; Mentor: Associate Professor Tracey LaPierre). Chloe Peacock also received an Undergraduate Research Award to support her thesis research.

Undergraduate Scholarships and Accomplishments

The Department was pleased to offer $10,000 in undergraduate scholarships for our majors, distributed in Spring 2026. The recipients were Mayah Dorsey, Estrella Hernandez, Paige Hinca, Monroe Price, and Cadence Tuck.

Junior and Undergraduate Sociology Student Association (USSA) president Lolly Hindman presented her paper “When Marriage Ends: Volunteering and Health among Older Adults” at the Midwest Sociological Society meeting in St. Louis.