Sociology
Figure above shows the Sociology department's performance in five areas of research
productivity: articles, awards, books, citations, and federal grants.
Outstanding Faculty Research
The Department of Sociology at the University of Utah was established in 1896 and only the third university in the United States to offer regular courses in the discipline. In the early years, the Department was combined with economics, anthropology, and social work, each of which eventually became an independent academic unit.
Over the past 20 years, new faculty members with strong scholarly records have been hired from top U.S. graduate programs, and faculty productivity in terms of research output has remained one of the top records in the nation. According to the most recent data from the Academic Analytics, across the 205 sociology departments in the United States, the University of Utah Department of Sociology is ranked the 1st in terms of articles per faculty, the 7th in citations per faculty, and the 7th in scholarly research index which is a metric designed to create benchmark standards for the measurement of academic and scholarly quality within and among United States research universities.
Faculty Awards
Brett Clark
Brett clark has won numerous faculty and research awards in a diverse array of areas including Superior Research, Environment and Technology, the American Sociological Association , the Marxist Sociology Book Award, Excellence in Mentoring, the University of Utah, and the college of Social and Behavioral sciences.
Bethany Everett
Bethany Everett is the winner of the National American Menopause Society New Investigator Award, as well as the 2019 Superior Research Award from the University of Utah College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Rebecca Utz
Rebecca Utz has been recognized for awards in Superior Teaching, Research, and Excellence in Mentoring. She has won the Graduate School Distinguished Mentor Award and Distinguished Teaching Award from the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences.
Sarita Gaytán
Sarita Gaytán has been awarded with the Best Paper in the Social Sciences, Mexico Section, Latin American Studies Association, and awards in Superior Research from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Utah.
Ming Wen
Ming Wen has twice earned award recognition for Superior Research from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Theresa Martinez
Theresa Martinez has been awarded with numerous Faculty, Research, and Distinguished University Teaching Awards since 1994. Her multiple awards include recognition from the University of Utah Teaching Committee, the Office of the President of the University, Top Professor Awards, Presidential Teaching Awards, Superior Teaching Awards, and many others. Additionally she has received the distinguished Cesar Chavez Peace and Justice Award, and the Calvin S & JeNeal N Hatch Prize in Teaching award from the University of Utah
Addition of Criminology
In 2018, the Department of Sociology began offering a new major in criminology. The major gives students a multidisciplinary understanding of critical issues surrounding crime, preparing them for careers in criminal, juvenile and social justice services, and providing a foundation for graduate study in criminology, criminal justice, other social sciences and law.
“This is a real contribution to the community given the need here,” said Ming Wen,
chair of the Department of Sociology. “It serves as an attractive option for students
who are interested in the field of criminal justice and want to be closer to networking
opportunities where they want to live and work.”
The exploration includes empirical research on crime and criminal behavior, the tools
and methods used to study and prevent crime, issues relating to criminal law, offenders,
victims and victims’ rights and the agencies involved in the processing and sanctioning
of juvenile and adult offenders. Policies surrounding crime and criminal justice that
affect individuals, families, and communities are implemented on a daily basis. Crime,
and our response to it, continues to be a major issue with far reaching impacts. A
major in criminology prepares students to deal with these critical issues.