The Dick Jobst Award in Sociology

In 2007, the first Dick Jobst Award in Sociology was announced. The award honors Professor Dick Jobst, a faculty member in the Sociology Department at PLU from 1967-2007. Just as Professor Jobst is a legend and a giant at PLU, the Department decided to honor a senior who has made a similar mark at PLU: through academics, leadership, and citizenship. The student recipient of the Dick Jobst Award in Sociology is the person who embodies the positive forces Professor Jobst brought to this campus in his 40 years of service to PLU.

Johannes and Aleen Schiller Endowed Scholarship

The Schiller Endowed Scholarship began in 1979 by John and Aleen Schiller. Professor Schiller served as a faculty member, department chair and dean during his tenure at PLU. Juniors majoring in sociology are eligible. Students must demonstrate academic excellence in coursework (overall GPA of 3.2) and record of service and community outreach.

Recent Schiller recipients: Sarah Hodgson (2002-2003), Lara Fountain (2003-2004), Caroline Hines (2004-2005), Dana Perry (2005-2006), Jenny Prince (2006-2007), and Kelsie Melton (2007-2008).

For more information on the Schiller Scholarship, please see the Division of Social Science web page or contact the department directly.

International Sociology Honor Society

Zeta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta

Alpha Kappa Delta was founded in 1920 and currently has over 400 chapters. It is a professional organization dedicated to "the scientific study of social phenomenon for the promotion of human welfare" (AKD Handbook). PLU's Chapter, Zeta of Washington, was chartered in 1993. In order to be eligible, a student must be an officially declared sociology major, either a Junior or Senior, have completed at least four (4) regular sociology courses, have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in sociology. There is an initiation fee. Applications are usually processed early spring. For more information, please contact Zeta Chapter Representatives - Dr. Teresa Ciabattari and Dr. Kate Luther.

Each year the Department selects student papers for the national AKD Undergraduate Student Paper Competiton. In 2003, Sarah Hodgson (Class of 2003) was awarded First Prize.  Her paper, "Cutting Through the Silence: A Sociological Construction of Self Injury," was published in the May 2004 edition of Sociological Inquiry.  In 2004, Caroline Hines (Class of 2005) was awarded Third Prize in the competition. Her paper entitled, "Academic Dishonesy: Cheating in the High School Setting" found that students in high school made clear distinctions between appropriate and inappropriate cheating behavior.

Sociology Club

The Sociology Club is a student-run organization that coordinates a number of academic, professional, and social events throughout the school year. Among its varied activities, the Club sponsors workshops on such topics as finding work with a bachelor's degree in sociology and selecting and applying to graduate school, invites PLU sociology graduates to speak about their careers in the annual Alumni Panel, and hosts a holiday party for sociology students, faculty, and staff.

Sociology Club meetings are announced via e-mail and in sociology classes. For additional information, please contact the Club's advisor, Dr. Joanna Gregson.