Departmental Awards
The Sociology Department gives four awards annually:
John D. Donovan Award
The John D. Donovan Award is given in honor of one of the founders of the undergraduate program in Sociology at Boston College. Professor Emeritus John D. Donovan graduated from Boston College in 1939, earned his PhD from Harvard, and taught at Boston College from 1952 until 2002.
The award recognizes the best paper written in an undergraduate Sociology course within the calendar year. Winners may be from any academic year and any school within the university.
The 2021 award went to junior Sociology major Deena Mohamed ’23 for her paper “The Banana Massacre: An Unforeseen Tragedy or an Inevitable Development?"
- The 2018 award went to sophomore Sociology major Kiley Grundstrom ’21 for her paper “Drowning the Planet in Plastic Pollution”
- The 2019 award went to senior International Studies major Claire Wortsman ‘20 for her paper “Factors Influencing the Initiation and Duration of Breastfeeding among Working Mothers”
- The 2020 award went to senior Elisabeth Frascotti ‘21 for her paper “Examining the Effectiveness of FOSTA-SESTA”
William A. Gamson Award
The William A. Gamson Award is given in honor of one of the most renowned members of the Sociology faculty at Boston College. Professor Emeritus William A. Gamson is a prominent name in the study of social movements, past president of the American Sociological Association, and a fellow in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as winner of the W.E.B. Du Bois Career of Distinguished Scholarship Award from the American Sociological Association.
The award recognizes a graduating senior for outstanding academic achievement in Sociology.
The 2022 award was given to Kelli Rodrigues.
- The 2019 award was given to Cristina Zubizarreta
- The 2020 award was given to Jessica Bridges
- The 2021 award was given to Larissa Truchan
Lynda Lytle Holmstrom Award
The Lynda Lytle Holmstrom Award is given in honor of a feminist scholar and longtime Sociology faculty member. Professor Emeritus Lynda Lytle Holmstrom developed courses that remain popular today, including “Legal and Illegal Violence against Women.” Her wide-ranging research covered issues women faced in families, such as newborn intensive care, dual career couples, and midlife parenting.
The award recognizes the best class paper on the topic of gender with sociological implications submitted to an undergraduate course in the College of Arts and Sciences each calendar year. Winners may be from any class year.
- The 2018 award was granted to senior Sociology major William Hubschman ’19 for his paper “Traditional Masculinity in Sport.”
- The 2019 award was granted to junior Environmental Studies major Karolin Velliste ’20 for her paper “Women and Water: Putting Ecofeminism into Practice.”
- The 2020 award was granted to senior Elisabeth Frascotti ’21 for her paper “What They Don’t Want You to Know: Unpacking the Harmful Contradictions of Summer’s Eve and the Feminine Hygiene Industry.”
- The Holmstrom award was not given in 2021
David A. Karp Honors Thesis Award
The David A. Karp Honors Thesis Award is given in honor of the long-time director of the Sociology Honors Program. Professor Emeritus David A. Karp was professor of Sociology at Boston College from 1971 until 2012, and he inspired generations of students to strive for the insightful sociological listening and beautiful writing that are hallmarks of his work.
The award recognizes the best senior honors thesis written in the Sociology department each academic year.
The 2022 award was given to Kara Johansen for her thesis “Cleaning During COVID: Navigating Working Arrangements for House Cleaners and their Employers in Boston and Dallas.” Professor Julie Schor advised the project, and Professor Zine Magubane was second reader.
- The 2019 award was given to Catherine Stampfli for her thesis “How Self-Directed Learning Relates to Technology Integration and Pedagogical Beliefs in Middle School Classrooms.” Professor Michael Russell from the Carolyn A. and Peter S. Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College advised the project
- The 2020 award was given to Eilidh Currie for her thesis “What’s the Alternative?: Attitudes of Discrimination Investigators Toward the Efficacy of Anti-Discrimination Law.” Professor Sarah Babb advised the project
- The 2021 award was given to Yitong Liu for her thesis “The Making of a Viral Event: How Media Shapes Homeowner Protest in Urban China.” Professor Julia Chuang advised the project
Sociology majors are also competitive for campus-wide awards and fellowships, as well as prestigious external awards such as the Fulbright, Truman, and Udall Scholarships.