Summer 2023 Inaugural Newsletter

"Never fear going in circles. The next time around you will see something you missed before. And you will be different and it will be better." ~unknown

As another academic year comes to a close, the time is ripe for reflection. What have you noticed, learned, or committed yourself to this time around? What difficulties have you encountered and conquered? What accomplishments are you most proud of and what gets you excited as you look towards the future?

Welcome to the inaugural issue of what will be a biannual (summer and winter) department newsletter. So much has happened over the past several years, but we will give it our best college try to give you a present picture of where we are at as a department and hope you stay tuned and keep in touch, as Cornell Sociology begins yet another exciting phase of research and growth.

(News stories and information relevant to the Department/ our future newsletters, should be sent to Carrie D'Aprix, the Communications and Programming Assistant, at cmd294@cornell.edu)

Thank you!

A Message from the Chair

It has been my pleasure to see this inaugural issue of the Sociology Newsletter come together. This Newsletter is our first attempt to put in one place an accessible record of what has been going on in the Department recently. Our aim is to keep you apprised of some exciting new developments in the Department, the many accomplishments of our faculty and students, and also the current state of the Department in general.

We have just said goodbye to the amazing graduating class of 2023. It was a joy to see their growth throughout their time at Cornell, and we wish them all the best as they enter a world in which the versatility of their Sociology degree prepares them to do the greatest good for society.

There are a few points of accomplishment that I want to highlight. In January 2023, we celebrated Susan Meyer's 35 years of dedication and unparalleled service to the Sociology Department as an essential front office staff member. And in July, we will wish our Front Office Manager, Sam Loew, all the best as she transitions to her new position in the Math department. Thank you for all you have done for Sociology, Sam!

Congratulations to Kendra Bischoff for being one of only two recipients of the College's Robert A. & Donna B. Paul Award for exceptional effectiveness as an adviser and mentor of undergraduates. As for promotions, congratulations to Laura Tach for being promoted to Full Professor in the Brooks School of Public Policy and Sociology and to Dan Hirschman on being awarded tenure; a once-in-a-lifetime achievement.

Noteworthy Numbers

The Department has added ten outstanding Sociologists to our faculty body in just a couple of years; three external hires and seven as part of the cross-college merger with sociologists from the former department of Policy Analysis and Management. PAM was absorbed by the new Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy.

The formation of the Brooks School and subsequent cross-college integration has added a group of distinguished faculty to the Department. With the 2021 merger, the Sociology department welcomed Matt Hall, Sadé Lindsay, Kelly Musick, Adriana Reyes, Peter Rich, Sharon Sassler, Laura Tach, and Maureen Waller.

New faculty faces of 2022 are Jamie Budnick and Dan Hirschman, and beginning this July first, Brian Sykes (previously Associate Professor of Criminology, Law and Society at UC Irvine) will join the Department of Sociology and the Brooks School of Public Policy.

In addition to growing faculty numbers, Sociology has expanded its front-office staff to include two new full time positions (previously part-time positions). Marcus May began as the new Accounts Coordinator in March of 2022 and Carrie D'Aprix as the Communications and Programming Assistant in October.

The department boasts impressive external award and research grant numbers, we continue to remain competitive in recruitment of bright Ph.D. students, and the major is going strong!

First-year shares thoughts on 'why sociology?'

'What excites me most about the major is its versatility and interdisciplinarity'

Freshman Nic Oke is not ready to specialize, but he knows that majoring in Sociology will allow him to explore his many questions and interests based off his lived experiences.

Faculty Factoids

Professor Landon Schnabel makes Indiana University's "20 under 40" list

Professor Cristobal Young's Research centerpiece of Comedic Video: watch video

Sociologist Maureen Waller selected as 23-24 Access to Justice Scholar

Dr. Laura Tach named Featured QuIRI Researcher

2022 Ceremony honors Professor Victor Nee's Induction into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Congratulations, Dr. Kendra Bischoff

Purple flower blossoms with Cornell's McGraw Tower in the background

A&S faculty honored for exemplary teaching, advising

“Helping students realize their greatest potential is at the core of our mission in the College of Arts & Sciences."

Graduate Student’s Data Visualization Tool presented at COP27

Ben Rosche conceptualized and programmed a data visualization tool, which was presented at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) .

PhD student Nathália Santos awarded the Mitofsky Graduate Research Fellowship

One of the legacies that Warren Mitofsky left was the formation of a fellowship in his name. This year’s Mitofsky Fellow is Nathália Santos, a PhD student in Cornell University’s Department of Sociology.

1) Ben Rosche | Causal Network Analysis

2) Reid Ralston | Separating the art from its artist: Film reviews in the era of #MeToo

3) Alexandra Cooperstock | The Demographics of School District Secession

4) Loredana Loy | Experts and climate change politicisation. A case study of the Environmental Protection Agency (1983–2015)

5) Loredana Loy | Climate delay discourses present in global mainstream television coverage of the IPCC’s 2021 report

6) Álvaro Padilla Pozo | Unique times, unequal mobilities : Daily mobility during the de-escalation of the COVID-19 pandemic

7) Nan Feng | Social disadvantage, context and network dynamics in later life

8) Camille Porter | Heterogeneity in the mental health cost of caring for others

9) Jaeun Lim | Social network-structural position and obesity: Evidence from a national study

10) Tianyao Qu | Chronic illness and social network bridging in later life

Hear from our Alumnae

'I fell in love with quantitative methods'

Sociology Alumna, Alexandra Gibbons, shares what inspired her to pursue her degree in Sociology and how she continues to use the degree in her day-to-day life...

'Always remember what led you to study Sociology'

Sociology Alumna, Jenny Todd, draws upon her Sociology training daily as a Psychometrician...

Undergraduate Undertakings

Students create interactive gallery walk for final class

First-years share their transformational journeys...so far

New College Scholars research climate, health care, legal interpretation

Danika Cho presents abortion research at Harvard

Hear from our Seniors!

'I've realized that no idea or dream is too big.'

Syrielle Clement is a sociology major.

'I am more than capable of attaining all of my heart's desires'

Yomaris Valerio Hernandez is a sociology major.

The Zoom Room: a computer lab exclusively for our undergraduate majors....

The Grad Lounge...

...a great study spot for graduate students and an unmatched view of the clocktower...

The Display Case, painted just in time and decorated for Commencement weekend.

Stay tuned for the next design in line...a sociology-themed Jeopardy exhibit: What is Sociology?!

Pandemic Peripheries and Parallels

Medical professoional wearing a mask and protective gloves gives a shot to a person wearing a Cornell Big Red t-shirt

Collaboration to infuse human behavior into epidemiological models

Six Cornell faculty members from three different colleges will work together to improve epidemiological models of infectious disease using a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

Study by Cornell Sociology Professor Landon Schnabel and colleagues refutes impressions of rapid religious decline during COVID

Findings suggest that apparent secularization in America is not a result of declining faith or decreased church attendance during the pandemic.

Padilla-Pozo’s work examines urban mobility patterns in Andalusia, Spain during the pandemic

‘Unique times, unequal mobilities: Daily mobility during the de-escalation of the COVID-19 pandemic’

Person in blue jacket speaking in front of red, white and green flags

Fascism expert: Italy is next in the European nationalist movement, here is why.

The outcome of the Italian election on Sept. 25 could have dramatic effects on the country and European Union, says professor Mabel Berezin.

Marine Le Pen with sholuder-length blonde hair and jacket, with hand upraised in the midst of a speech, with French flag in bakcground

May Day strikes: French far-right gains ground as working people's party

Prof. Mabel Berezin comments on the May Day strikes in France.

Income, segregated schools drive Black-white education gaps

New research co-authored by sociologist Peter Rich finds a generation of federal school reform hasn’t addressed the primary drivers of racial gaps in academic achievement and attainment: economic inequality and segregated schools.

Same-race reviews reduce inequality in Airbnb bookings

White guests favor Airbnb properties with white hosts, but are more inclined to rent from Black or Asian hosts if they see featured reviews from previous white guests, Cornell research finds.

Kristina Hugar, Ph.D. ‘15, Ecolectro’s chief science officer, conducts research in the startup’s laboratory space at Cornell’s McGovern Center.

Integrating STEM majors won’t end gender segregation at work

Only 36% of the gender segregation seen among college-educated workers is tied to their undergraduate degrees, a new study finds.

Religion: less ‘opiate,’ more suppressant, study finds

“Contemporary American religion – and Christianity in particular – suppresses what would otherwise be larger group differences in political ideology.”

A few dozen men sit and stand in a group, talking intensely

‘Young, male and aimless’: Why are men in India delaying marriage?

Economic changes in India are forcing adaptations in traditional marriage practices, but not enough for a modernizing overhaul to this deeply traditional institution.

Would a wealth tax actually drive the rich out of California?

Cristobal Young, a sociologist at Cornell, and Ithai Lurie, an economist at the U.S. Treasury, look at how incentives and embeddedness shape millionaire tax flight, highlighting the small effect tax reform has had on millionare migration thus far, and raising questions about how work-from-home polic...

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