Selection Criteria and Eligibility
This award honors ASA members’ outstanding contributions to sociological practice. The award may recognize work that has facilitated or served as a model for the work of others; work that has significantly advanced the utility of one or more specialty areas in sociology and, by so doing, has elevated the professional status or public image of the field as a whole; or work that has been honored or widely recognized outside the discipline for its significant impacts, particularly in advancing human welfare. The recipient of this award will have spent at least a decade of full-time work involving research, administrative, or operational responsibilities as a member of or consultant to private or public organizations, agencies, or associations, or as a solo practitioner.
Nomination Procedures
Nominations should include a one to two-page nomination statement, the vita of the nominee, and 1-2 letters of recommendation.
In addition to the nomination materials described above, complete and submit the required nomination form.
Nominations can be considered for five years. However, nominations are not automatically renewed. Each year, nominators will be asked if they wish to renew their nominations for consideration. If a renewal is requested, nominators will be invited to submit updated information or additional materials and are required to respond again to the ethics question.
Self-nominations are encouraged. All awardees must be current ASA members at the time of the award ceremony at the Annual Meeting. One need not be a member to be nominated for an award. All nominators must be current members.
Submit nominations for the 2021 award to nominations@asanet.org by January 1, 2021.
2021 Selection Committee Members
The selection committee is composed of nine members, each serving a staggered three-year term. Members are appointed from among the Association membership by the Council based on the recommendation of the Committee on Committees.
Leslie Hossfeld, Chair
Terceira Berdahl
Janice Johnson Dias
Kesha Moore
Mercedes Rubio
Ellen Scott
Carrie Smith
Mark Warren
Bruce Western
Past Recipients
2020 - Patricia Fernandez-Kelly
2019 - Eric Wanner
2018 - Kristin Anderson Moore
2017 - Heidi Hartmann
2016 - Hugh Mehan
2015 - Eleanor Lyon
2014 - Harry Perlstadt
2013 - Donald Light
2012 - Judith Blau
2011 - Henry J. Steadman
2010 - Ross Koppel & Jan Fritz (co-winners)
2009 - S.M. Miller
2008 - John McKinlay
2007 - Robert Dentler
2006 - Arthur Shostak
2005 - William Kornblum
2004 - no recipient selected
2003 - Lewis Yablonsky
2002 - Lloyd H. Rogler
2001 - David Mechanic
2000 - Frances Fox Piven and Richard A. Cloward
1999 - Peter H. Rossi
1998 - Leonard I. Pearlin
1997 - Irwin Deutscher
1996 - Albert E. Gollin
1995 - Albert D. Biderman
1994 - Nelson Foote
1993 - Grace M. Barnes
1992 - Elliot Liebow and Matilda White Riley
1991 - Charles G. Gomillion
1990 - Elizabeth Briant Lee and Alfred McClung Lee
1989 - David L. Sills
1988 - Paul C. Glick
1987 - John W. Riley
1986 - Conrad Taeuber