In 2022, ESS created two Public Sociology Awards, one for Pre-Tenure/Early Career (including graduate students) and Post-Tenure/Mid or later career Sociologists (inside or outside the academy). These awards seek to recognize sociologists who have both done cutting-edge sociological research and engaged in meaningful public work using that research. Meaningful public work here includes high profile public dissemination, such as Op-Eds or public media appearances, but especially values sustained public work that uses sociological skills and research in ways that help organizations or persons with which the scholar works, helps resist policies by institutions or government that cause harm and promote policies that help people, direct service to research participants, and in other ways. The awards seek to recognize sociological work that improves public welfare, broadly understood, or the lives of research participants.  Finally, rather than seek to recognize the single “best” public sociologist, these awards seek to encourage public by recognizing, where appropriate, multiple scholars. 

 

To submit a nomination for the Public Sociology Award, please submit a letter of nomination and any supporting documents (such as publications, reports, and/or letters from stakeholders, including organizational, governmental, or community partners) to the Committee Chair TBD by October 15, 2026.

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2026 Recipients:

Pre-Tenure Award

Phi Hong Su, Williams College

Post-Tenure Award

Carolina Bank Muñoz, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Frank Edwards, Rutgers–Newark

Joanna Kempner, Rutgers–New Brunswick

Gretchen Purser, Syracuse University

Calvin Smiley, Hunter College

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2025 Recipients:

Pre-Tenure Award

Heba Gowayed (Hunter College)

Maya Tellman (CUNY)

Asad Asad (Stanford University)

Post-Tenure Award

Margaret Chin (Hunter College)

Research

S. Michael Gaddis (The Northwest Evaluation Association)