Bowling Green State University
Department of Sociology
Welcome to our inaugural issue of the BGSU Sociology Update, our biannual email update from the BGSU Department of Sociology. You are receiving this email as a BG alumna/alumnus, and we hope you find this a welcome addition to your inbox.


Sociology Alumnus Delivers Commencement Address and Receives Honorary Degree

“Before you are ready” is the best time to start something new, Howard Aldrich '65 told BGSU Arts & Sciences graduates at the December 2015 commencement. An award-winning teacher and Kenan Professor of Sociology at UNC-Chapel Hill, Dr. Aldrich spoke as this year’s honorary degree recipient and as a BGSU sociology department alumnus, after receiving his honorary doctorate degree. His advice on risk-taking is rooted in his own life-changing BGSU experience, as well as his groundbreaking research on entrepreneurship and evolutionary theory. To delay involvement until we get enough experience or feel truly ready, Dr. Aldrich reminded graduates, is to miss much that life and education have to offer.
Chatting with Howard Aldrich
What is your favorite BGSU memory?
Actually it is a tossup between two very strong memories: (1) proposing to my now wife, Penny, in front of Prout Chapel, and (2) watching our basketball team totally dominate Loyola of Chicago, which came into the Anderson gymnasium ranked in the top 10 in the country and fell behind 16 to 0 in the first five minutes.

What advice would you give to our sociology majors today?
Take courses in cognitive neuroscience, historical methodologies, and creative writing, and spend at least an hour in the gym every other day.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Major Success!


Two of our sociology majors, Nico Pinchak and Nadia Oehler, have recently been honored for their exceptional academic achievements.

Nico Pinchak
Nadia Oehler
  • Oehler received the Aida Tomeh Memorial Scholarship award for outstanding sociology majors. She earned the award based on her academic achievement and campus involvement
CAPSTONE COURSE PROVIDES INDEPENDENT RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

Sociology majors are putting their substantive knowledge and statistical skills to work in a newly required course, SOC 4800 Sociology Capstone. Taught for the past two years by Dr. Kei Nomaguchi, the capstone course provides students the opportunity to conduct independent, empirical research. Students analyze data from the General Social Survey or the National Longitudinal Study of Adolsecent to Adult Health, write a research paper, and present their work at the end of the semester to department faculty. Several undergraduates who have completed the capstone course also present their research in other venues, such as the undergraduate sociology conference held annually at Kent State and the BGSU annual conference sponsored by the Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship.
GRADUATE STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL CONFERENCES



Our department has a strong tradition of supporting graduate student participation in conferences across the country. During the 2015-16 academic year, more than 20 students presented their papers at national meetings, including the American Sociological Association (ASA), the American Society of Criminology (ASC), and the Population Association of America (PAA). A complete list of graduate student presentations is available on our website.

Graduate students also serve the discipline through national committee memberships. Gwen Zugarek is serving a two-year term as Graduate Student Representative on the Council of the ASA Section on the Sociology of the Family. Barbara Prince is a member of the Mentoring Committee for Alpha Kappa Delta The International Sociology Honor Society.
SUPPORT THE SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT
Gifts from alumni and friends assist our students and enhance the BGSU learning environment. Your contribution helps our students with travel expenses to national conferences and workshops.

DONATE ONLINE

Sociology Foundation Account #301065

DONATE BY CHECK
Make check payable to: BGSU Foundation, Inc.
Include: Sociology Department #301065

Send to:
BGSU Foundation, Inc.
Sociology Department #301065
132 Administration Building
Bowling Green, Ohio 43403