The Division of Social Sciences faculty, staff, and friends gathered on October 14 at the UC Santa Cruz Cowell Ranch Hay Barn for a special Fall Breakfast. Like so many other events, the annual Fall Breakfast had been previously interrupted or postponed for the last two years, due to the pandemic and power outages. This year’s ceremony was a celebration of hope in the wake of many crises.
“There is a renewed sense of wonder and excitement this academic year,” said Dean Katharyne Mitchell. “It was delightful to be able to gather in person once again. The solidarity and tenacity this division has shown is inspiring.”
The division presented several major awards recognizing outstanding accomplishments by faculty, staff, researchers, and emeriti faculty. It was noted that selecting recipients for the 2020-21 year was particularly difficult, given the extraordinary nature of the past year and the many contributions that all of the staff and faculty made to ensure the ongoing success of the division and the campus as a whole.
The awards presented included:
- Golden Apple Teaching Award: Liz Beaumont, an associate professor of politics and program director of legal studies, was recognized for her dedication to student success. Beaumont has demonstrated a particular commitment to teaching and mentoring undergraduate students in capstone work. In addition, she has served on 11 dissertation committees—acting as the primary advisor for two of those—and during the past two years, she has shepherded five students through to completion of doctoral degrees. Additionally, it was noted that she continually strives to make her classes even more engaging and effective and to better challenge and support her students in their growth.
- Martin M. Chemers Award for Outstanding Research: Professor Campbell Leaper was recognized this year for outstanding contributions in the field of psychology. Leaper is a renowned scholar in the psychology of gender, whose interdisciplinary, multi-method approach builds on theory and research in the developmental and social psychology of gender and sexism during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. He has studied topics of pressing social import related to gender inequalities in society, revealing the way in which such inequalities often have their basis in how society constructs and maintains traditional gender divisions.
- Outstanding Staff Award: Jessica Lawrence, Sociology Department Manager, was recognized as the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Staff Award. Jessica was acknowledged for her leadership and creative problem solving, support for department staff, her valuable assistance in managing numerous sociology searches, and her time served as chair of the Executive Board of the Administrative Management Professionals on campus.
- Distinguished Social Sciences Emeriti Award: Craig Reinarman, professor emeritus of sociology, was honored for his profound impact on the shifting discourse and public opinion surrounding drug policy, including the move toward the legalization of cannabis. As a sociologist with over 26 years of experience in researching, writing, and teaching about law, crime, social justice, drugs and addiction in society, and political sociology, Reinarman’s work has focused on the political, public policy, and sociological issues surrounding crack/cocaine in the United States, as well as the way crack cocaine has been presented in the media and political discourse. He has published widely on drug use, addiction, law, treatment, and policy.
For more images from this event, check out the photo gallery.
