The Everett V. Stonequist Award

The Everett V. Stonequist Award is given to a graduating senior who has shown outstanding interest and achievement in the study of Sociology. (Click here for a biography of Professor Stonequist.) The 2008 recipient of the Stonequist Award is Kristin Harkness. Sociology faculty describe Kristin in her award citation:

Citations for Stonequist Award Recipients

2007 - Allison Klein

We are delighted to present Allison with the Everett Stonequist Award. Allison brought intellectual maturity, substantive knowledge, statistical sophistication, and a sociological imagination to her outstanding senior seminar project on factors affecting educational aspirations. Only a severe storm prevented Allison from presenting her findings at meetings of the Eastern Sociological Society. Allison has found time to tutor both Saratoga children and fellow Skidmore students. Next year Allison heads to graduate school in educational counseling.

2006 - Emily Mastellone-Snyder

Emily is a Renaissance scholar who has not only excelled in her sociology courses—along the way earning membership in both Periclean and Alpha Kappa Delta, Sociology's national honorary society—but has earned top marks in fields as diverse as Spanish, Psychology, Theater, Biology, Dance, Education, Business, and Ceramics. Emily is a dedicated student who comes to class bursting with as many questions as answers—precisely the sort of inquiring mind and devoted intellectual that Skidmore prizes.

2005 - Rebecca Balder

Rebecca's talents for asking difficult questions and searching intently for their answers were on display in her senior research project, an exploration of racial prejudice and attitudes toward English-only policies, which she presented at the Eastern Sociological Society's annual conference. A thoughtful and astute scholar of intersections between individual psychology and the social world, we wish Rebecca well in her future graduate work and life.

2004 - Jo Bartell

Overcoming the vagaries of secondary data and conquering the complexities of multiple regression, Jo Bartell has written an outstanding interdisciplinary examination of the social correlates of trust. Her research displays theoretical and statistical sophistication not often seen in undergraduate research, which was affirmed when the Eastern Sociological Society accepted her paper for presentation at its annual conference. Jo's work embodies the promise of sociology: that sociology can help us understand the relationship between self and society.

2003 - Andrew Linder

Pursuing intellectual questions and pressing issues of the day typifies Andrew's sociological imagination. His senior project investigated why some Americans express less patriotism than others, focusing on the impact of education. Andrew presented his paper at this year's Eastern Sociological Society conference, and he plans to pursue a doctoral degree in sociology next year. Balancing passion and analysis, humility and ambition, knowledge and curiosity, Andrew evinces the best qualities of a life-long learner.

2002 - Mary Sprayregen

We are delighted to present Mary with the Stonequist Award. We have a number of graduating seniors who have excelled in their courses and consistently served as role models of intellectual commitment for their peers. Mary stands out not only because of her good grades, but because her scholarship indicates unusual maturity. Her work reflects academic rigor, an open-mindedness that allows her to develop nuanced arguments, and a passion for scholarship that seeks to improve the welfare of troubled members of our society.

2001 - Rachel Sayko

Rachel earned the Stonequist Award for outstanding work in sociology. Rachel's senior project examines whether IV drug users previously arrested for carrying drug paraphernalia are less likely to participate in a syringe exchange program designed to reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS. Rachel has presented her research at three professional conferences this year, including the Eastern Sociological Society meetings. Her work demonstrates the value of wedding qualitative and quantitative data to address key social issues.

2000 - Sarah Winslow

As evidence of Sarah's outstanding interest in the study of sociology, she will begin her graduate work in sociology in the fall at the University of Pennsylvania, where she will continue to pursue her interest in gender and inequality. Sarah has done outstanding work in all of her classes, which is reflected in her near-perfect GPA. Her research in senior seminar and her senior thesis on the relationship between the qualitative aspects of work and the share of housework that individuals perform displays remarkable theoretical and methodological sophistication. Sarah presented her research in March at the annual meeting of the Eastern Sociological Society. We congratulate Sarah for all that she has accomplished at Skidmore.

1999 - Shuk Yin Lee

Shuk Yin Lee earned the Stonequist Award for her outstanding interest and achievement in the study of sociology at Skidmore. Displaying statistical sophistication and sociological imagination, Shuk's senior thesis examines relationships of pregnant women's drug use to economic resources, prenatal care, and perceptions of risk. Shuk presented preliminary research findings at the Eastern Sociological Society meetings. Her work embodies the promise of sociology: that sociology can help us understand the most vexing issues of our time.

1998 - Erin Kain

Like Everett Stonequist, Erin applies her keen mind and sociological imagination to our community, reaching out of the classroom into Saratoga neighborhoods. Erin interned with the Saratoga City Planner. She studied the distribution of social services in Saratoga in Senior Seminar and presented her paper at the annual meetings of the Eastern Sociological Society. Erin's senior thesis uses extensive interviews and observations to examine community issues and neighborhood organization on Saratoga's West Side. Erin will present her research at next July's World Congress of the International Sociological Association. Alpha Kappa Delta awarded Erin an International Scholarship Initiative grant to support her participation in the ISA's World Congress. Erin is a member of the Periclean Society and Alpha Kappa Delta and has been elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Skidmore's Sociology faculty applaud Erin's accomplishments.

1997 - Matthew Fischer

Matt majored in both sociology and government at Skidmore and excelled in both of these disciplines. His senior seminar project in sociology examined whether states with higher divorce rates have higher levels of juvenile delinquency and found that there was a correlation. Not leaving his analysis at that, however, Matt questioned whether this association explained the behavior of individuals. In his senior thesis, he extended his analysis to explore whether individual delinquent behavior is in fact linked to having experienced a divorce. Matt found that several other factors besides family structure were more powerful explanatory variables for understanding the delinquent behavior of individuals. Matt presented this research at the Eastern Sociological Association meetings. The interest and achievement that Matt has shown in his analysis of social life and social policy should serve him well as he moves forward into the study of law.