Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award

Robert M. Hauser, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Michael Burawoy, University of California-Berkeley

This award is presented annually to honor outstanding contributions to the undergraduate and/or graduate teaching and learning of sociology, which improve the quality of teaching. This year, the award selection committee decided to honor two individuals for their distinguished contributions to teaching, Dr. Robert Hauser and Dr. Michael Burawoy.

Robert Hauser
Robert M. Hauser’s scholarship has profoundly changed several fields in which he has worked, including social stratification, social demography, and statistical methodology. His scholarly contributions have been widely recognized through numerous honors to his credit. However, former students felt that his important contributions to the sociological profession as an outstanding mentor to graduate students had not been appropriately acknowledged. He has served as mentor to scores of successful sociologists. His students consistently praise his level of engagement, close involvement in their work, and how he shares his wisdom. He is committed to the solid intellectual development of his protégés, and his dedication extends to those who are not officially “his” advisees. His students continue to emulate Hauser’s mentoring skills. They credit him for teaching them how to maintain a solid intellectual track. Finally, he engages his students in numerous professional socialization opportunities, all in an effort to invest in the discipline’s future.

Michael Burawoy
Michael Burawoy’s students note that he has made it his life’s work to place teaching on an equal footing with his well-regarded scholarship. Many of his graduate students have gone on to become very successful sociologists, have published their dissertations, and have collaborated with Burawoy on projects. They extol his devotion to his students, note with rich detail his intellectual impact on their work and his approach to the discipline, and comment on his desire to learn from his students. His commitment to undergraduate education is seen in the high respect given to his demanding theory course. He has inspired countless undergraduates to pursue sociology as a career.