Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award

 George Ritzer, University of Maryland

 George Ritzer stands out for his creation of original materials that greatly enhance the teaching of introductory sociology, sociological theory, organizations, and social problems. Many faculty realize the profound impact his books such as The McDonaldization of Society and Enchanting a Disenchanted World have had on undergraduate teaching and learning, while also reaching beyond the academy. His numerous textbooks, including Sociological Theory, Modern Social Theory, Classical Sociological Theory, and Postmodern Social Theory, have clarified abstract sociological concepts and theories for generations of undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty, rendering “the most complex issues intelligible with disarming lucidity” and providing invaluable bridges to the original works. Ritzer’s contributions to teaching have been further advanced by his essays on teaching, extensive editorial work leading to the production of new teaching materials, and numerous public lectures in the United States and abroad.