Check out what our students and faculty have been doing!

Faculty Spotlight

Jared Del Rosso researches torture

Since 2007, Jared Del Rosso has studied the U.S. debates about detainee abuse, torture, and interrogation policy. To understand this debate, Professor Del Rosso analyzed over 40 transcripts of congressional hearings on these issues. Through this analysis, Professor Del Rosso documented a fundamental change in the ways that U.S. politicians spoke about torture.  More...

Video of Jared Del Rosso explaining his research and how he integrates it into the classroom: 

See also: October 2015 story in University of Denver Magazine: "Sociology professor's new book explores torture debate"         

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(Note that current events are listed on the department's main webpage)

2018-19 In the news/Events

Year-end Award and Recognition Ceremony.
The Sociology/Criminology Department held its year-end Award and Recognition Ceremony on Friday, June 14. At the ceremony, 12 students were initiated into Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD)--the national honor society for sociology; in addition, we distributed certificates for students who attained "Distinction in Sociology and Criminology," and gave out our Moore, Key and OMNI Awards. The ceremony was followed by a sit-down luncheon here in Sturm Hall. The list of students honored can be found here.

Passionate Pre-Med Student Seeks Inspiration Wherever She Goes. "Dual-degree" doesn't quite cover undergraduate Natasha Hamilton's array of academic pursuits. in June 2019 she earned her BS in molecular biology with a cognitive neuroscience concentration and minors in chemistry and math, as well as a BA in sociology with a minor in psychology. And she still finds time to pursue passions in piano, cello, and Celtic harp! (read more…) 

Once homeless, sociology senior looks forward to putting her DU degree to work:A liberal arts education has helped Tiffany Christian discover her potential. Long before she took her first class at the University of Denver, Tiffany Christian lived a life that comes right out of her sociology textbooks. For years, she bounced around different schools, group homes and lock-down facilities. She slept on the streets, sought refuge in shelters and served some time in jail. “When I was 20,” she recalls, “I was convicted of a felony [related to receiving stolen property]. I was hanging out with the wrong people. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had no idea what the consequences were going to be.” The consequences were severe, but they weren’t defining. And to prove it, Christian, now 39, donned cap and gown and marched with the Class of 2019 at the undergraduate Commencement ceremony in June, when she claimed her bachelor’s degree in sociology, with a minor in communication. (read more…) 

The fall 2018 Sociology of Immigration class curated an exhibit entitled "Terms of Belonging: A Sociological Exploration of Immigration at DU" in mid-November as part of their final class project. The exhibit, which was located on the 2nd floor of Sturm Hall, next to the Student Study Suite, was a collaborative effort, along with University of Denver Museum of Anthropology (DUMA) graduate students and Special Collections & Archives at the University Libraries. Through personal accounts, articles from the student newspaper and documents from organizations and offices from DU's past and present, this exhibit reflects on the ways belonging results from the DU community's everyday practices. (Belonging comes in the immigration stories we live, embrace, and help narrate.) The exhibit had interactive features and was on display for 3 months.  

Spring 2018 Events

Dine and Dialogue: "Leveraging your Sociology/Criminology Degree." The Department of Sociology & Criminology recently sponsored an event to help students who are wondering what to do with their degrees before and after graduation. Becca Bolden (BA 2011; MSW 2012; Program Director at Boys and Girls Club of Colorado) and Leslie Mongin (BA 2006; Program Coordinator for Refugee Community Engagement in the Denver Police Department) spoke with students about how they leveraged their sociology degrees and training on the job market. The conversation was followed by dinner at Spanky's Urban Roadhouse. [Thanks to the AHSS Dean's Office for helping coordinate this event!]

Dr. Gary Alan Fine, distinguished faculty in Sociology at Northwestern University, presented a Marsico lecture on Thursday, May 3, 2018, on "The Sociology of Fun." Professor Fine has a stellar national and international reputation for his outstanding scholarship, and has served as a Fellow or Visiting Faculty at premier institutions across the globe. Fine also spoke to faculty and students about rumor, one of his other streams of research. His work in this area has made a substantial contribution to the understanding of urban legends, how rumors are transmitted, and the social consequences of legends and rumors. Dr. Fine's visit was co-sponsored by the Marsico Social Science Visiting Scholar Committee.

Dr. Hava Gordon presented an AHSS faculty lecture on Thursday, April 5, entitled, "This is Our School: How Racial and Class Inequalities Shape Movement Coalitions over Urban School Reform."  (event flyer)  

Archives

Department archives of past news and events.

EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR MAJORS

List of upcoming events, internship and job opportunities sent forward to us--for circulation to majors.