BA in Sociology

Sociology Students' Academic Honors and Awards

• Melanie Duncan, Valene Smith Outstanding BSS Student Award (2008)
• Alpha Kappa Delta, International Sociology Honor Society 2008 members: Haywood Adams, Ted Bartig, Stephanie Brown, Allison Cross, Melanie Duncan, Samuel Garrow, Sophia Maggiora, Kentra Mahaffey, Diana Ohlhaver, Tyler Rollins, Jessica Sandine, Lauren Saunders, Dolores Soto, Jerred Thompson, Lindsey Wigley, Megan Williams
• Rachel Kinney, graduate of program, was selected as one of 11 San Francisco City Hall Fellows (2008)
• Sociology Department Awards (2008): Best Scholar – Kendra Mahaffey; Robert P. Rankin Award – Megan Williams & Melanie Duncan; W.E.B. DuBois Award – Krystal Loveless-Arshad & Brittany Koerperich; Travis A. Williams Humanitarian Scholarship – Sam Garrow; Educational Enhancement Award – Lauren Saunders; Sociology Outstanding Student of 2008 – Melanie Duncan
• Anna Sorensen received the following CSU Systemwide Awards: Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program (2007)
• Nao Xiong, a graduate of our program now in graduate school, also received a Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program Award 
• Sally Casanova, William Randolph Hearst, Ali Rossi Scholar
• Alyson Juers was awarded the CSUC University Advisory Board Outstanding Service Award (2007)
• Julieta Carillo and Jennifer Duggan received CSUC Campus Awards for Research and Creativity (2006-2007)
• Anna Sorensen and Megan Williams received Phi Kappa Phi honors (2007)
• Megan Williams was nominated for the Lt. Rawlins Award

Grants, Publications, Presentations 

• Students presented papers at the 2007 professional regional meetings of the Pacific Sociological Association (Julieta Carillo, Jennifer Duggan, Anna Sorensen and Ashley Webber) 
• Several of our students present at the yearly Behavioral and Social Sciences Symposium of Student Research and Scholarly Work: (2007 presenters were: Julieta Carrilo, Alexentra Caselli, Jennifer Duggan, Jamie Nolan, Jodie Rettinhouse [SOSC Masters student], Anna Sorensen, Ashley Weber; 2008 presenters were Melanie Duncan, Alaina Fernandez [SOSC Masters student], Melinda James, Tyler Rollins)
• Megan Williams presented at the Santa Clara University Research Colloquium (2007) 
• Anna Sorensen published in academic journal, co-authoring with one of our faculty.

Additional Indicators of Service and Achievement

• Sociology majors maintain the student club, “SACS” (Sociology Association of Chico State). The club carries out community service and provides peer-to-peer mentoring.
• The student-run organization, STOP (Strop Trafficking of Persons), originated in the Social Movements class. They continue to carry out educational campaigns
• Student Ambassadors to the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences: Sam Garrow, Megan Williams, Melanie Duncan, Shannon Simmons

Dr. Nandi Crosby-Jordan, Department Chair, Professor
2015-2016 Outstanding Teacher

A proud Baltimore native, Dr. Crosby-Jordan joined the faculty of Chico State in the fall of 1999. She earned a B.A. in psychology from St. Mary’s College in southern Maryland; an M.A. in Africana Women’s Studies from Clark Atlanta University; and a Ph.D. in sociology from Georgia State University. She holds a joint appointment in Sociology and Multicultural & Gender Studies, with specific interests in all things related to social inequality: poverty, gang violence, police brutality, feminist theory, systematic racism and sexism, gender politics, transgender visibility, and a host of other social justice issues. She has taught more than 20 classes at Chico State in areas ranging from multicultural studies, African American studies, feminist theory, gangs, gender, sexuality, and criminology. She began serving as Chair of the sociology department in summer of 2016.

Alumni

Kory De La Torre came to Chico State from Tijuana as a low-income first generation student and found his identity as a transgender man his Sophomore year. He spent the remainder of his college career advocating for transgender inclusion on campus serving on the board of student organizations including Student Government where he successfully advocated for gender inclusive restrooms, and as a staff member at the Gender and Sexuality Equity Center (GSEC) developing a Transgender Program. Kory also served as a BSS Student Ambassador for the Sociology Department, and as a Teaching Assistant for Dr. Crosby-Jordan.

He graduated in 2016 with honors in Sociology and double major in Women’s Studies at Chico State. After graduation he moved to Washington, DC where he went on to serve in the Obama Administration as Associate Director of External Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. There he handled Latino and AAPI engagement for the administrations’ last Affordable Care Act open enrollment period.

After the administration, Kory briefly worked as a Community Organizer with the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) planning the organization’s largest Transgender Lobby Day, and fought against anti-transgender bills during the Texas Legislature special session. Now, Kory serves as the Racial and Economic Justice Policy Advocate at NCTE focusing primarily on policy issue areas impacting the most vulnerable in the transgender community - immigration, policing, incarceration and sex work. Kory will always attribute his success to the great mentors, professors and programs like Student Support Services that supported and championed him through trying times. 

Kevin Cook - "Everyone has a different path in life, and I'm glad mine led to California State University, Chico! I moved from SoCal to Chico to pursue my schooling and since arriving, it has been a nonstop adventure. From hosting my own radio show to blacksmithing on campus, CSUC has given me so many amazing opportunities to learn about and explore my interests. And a huge thank you to the Social Science Program faculty and teachers. As cliché as it is, I couldn't have done any of these things without their help and encouragement. Leaving the Social Science pathway will be sad for me. I was able to study a wide range of topics that gave me new insights on what it means to be human. Despite that, I am looking forward to my next adventure after Chico. I plan to become an Orientation and Mobility Specialist who trains visually impaired persons to function in a sighted world. My time here at Chico is held close to my heart and I am ready for the new challenges my road will give me. Thank you to everyone who supported me in this endeavor."