Departmental Awards
The Sociology Department gives four awards annually:
About the Award
The John D. Donovan Award is given in honor of one of the founders of the undergraduate program in Sociology at Boston College. Professor Emeritus John D. Donovan graduated from Boston College in 1939, earned his PhD from Harvard, and taught at Boston College from 1952 until 2002.
The award recognizes the best paper written in an undergraduate Sociology course within the calendar year. Winners may be from any academic year and any school within the university.
2024 Winner
The 2024 Donovan Award went to junior Math major Celina Xiong â26 for her paper âAutonomy, Art, and Artificial Intelligence: Institutional Commodification of Art and Bourdieuâs Cultural Capital.â
- The 2023 awards went to Elizabeth Anderson for her paper âThe Impact of El Salvador's Civil War on the Religious Expression of Salvadoran Migrants in Boston.â
- The 2022 award went to Molly Walvoord for her paper âTo Immigrants With Love: The Cultures of Muralism, Immigration, and the City of Bostonâ
- The 2021 award went to junior Sociology major Deena Mohamed â23 for her paper âThe Banana Massacre: An Unforeseen Tragedy or an Inevitable Development?"
- The 2018 award went to sophomore Sociology major Kiley Grundstrom â21 for her paper âDrowning the Planet in Plastic PollutionâÂ
- The 2019 award went to senior International Studies major Claire Wortsman â20 for her paper âFactors Influencing the Initiation and Duration of Breastfeeding among Working Mothersâ
- The 2020 award went to senior Elisabeth Frascotti â21 for her paper âExamining the Effectiveness of FOSTA-SESTAâ
About the Award
The William A. Gamson Award is given in honor of one of the most renowned members of the Sociology faculty at Boston College. Professor Emeritus William A. Gamson is a prominent name in the study of social movements, past president of the American Sociological Association, and a fellow in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as winner of the W.E.B. Du Bois Career of Distinguished Scholarship Award from the American Sociological Association.
The award recognizes a graduating senior for outstanding academic achievement in Sociology.Â
2024 Winner
The 2025 Gamson Award went to Elizabeth Anderson.
- The 2024 award went to Yuchen Gu.
- The 2023 award went to Caira Mathieu.
- The 2022 award was given to Kelli Rodrigues
- The 2019 award was given to Cristina Zubizarreta
- The 2020 award was given to Jessica Bridges
- The 2021 award was given to Larissa Truchan
About the Award
The Lynda Lytle Holmstrom Award is given in honor of a feminist scholar and longtime Sociology faculty member. Professor Emeritus Lynda Lytle Holmstrom developed courses that remain popular today, including âLegal and Illegal Violence against Women.â Her wide-ranging research covered issues women faced in families, such as newborn intensive care, dual career couples, and midlife parenting.
The award recognizes the best class paper on the topic of gender with sociological implications submitted to an undergraduate course in the College of Arts and Sciences each calendar year. Winners may be from any class year.
2024 Winner
The 2024 Holmstrom Award went to senior Engineering major Ellen Ryan â25.
- The 2023 award went to Alyssa Barrientos for her paper "Femicides in Mexico."
- The 2022 award went to Elizabeth McCarr for her paper âFrida Kahloâs Mexican Heritage on Bostonâs Appreciation of Artâ
- The 2018 award was granted to senior Sociology major William Hubschman â19 for his paper âTraditional Masculinity in Sport.âÂ
- The 2019 award was granted to junior Environmental Studies major Karolin Velliste â20 for her paper âWomen and Water: Putting Ecofeminism into Practice.â
- The 2020 award was granted to senior Elisabeth Frascotti â21 for her paper âWhat They Donât Want You to Know: Unpacking the Harmful Contradictions of Summerâs Eve and the Feminine Hygiene Industry.â
- The Holmstrom award was not given in 2021
About the Award
The David A. Karp Honors Thesis Award is given in honor of the long-time director of the Sociology Honors Program. Professor Emeritus David A. Karp was professor of Sociology at Boston College from 1971 until 2012, and he inspired generations of students to strive for the insightful sociological listening and beautiful writing that are hallmarks of his work.
The award recognizes the best senior honors thesis written in the Sociology department each academic year.
2024 Winner
The 2025 Karp Award went to Emilia Acevedo Quezada for her thesis âNarratives of Resistance: Artistic and Educational Practices as Mechanisms for Immigrant Rehumanization.â Professor Shelley White advised the project.
- The 2024 award went to Laila Herrera for her thesis "Shifting Landscapes: The Role of Institutions of Higher Education as Drivers of Gentrification in Cities." Professor Latrica Best advised the project.
- The 2023 award went to Sarah Mansky for her paper âGetting Off the Sidelines: Individual Motivations for Joining and Remaining in the Line 3 Movementâ. Professor Josh Seim advised the project.
- The 2022 award was given to Kara Johansen for her thesis âCleaning During COVID: Navigating Working Arrangements for House Cleaners and their Employers in Boston and Dallas.â Professor Julie Schor advised the project, and Professor Zine Magubane was second reader.
- The 2019 award was given to Catherine Stampfli for her thesis âHow Self-Directed Learning Relates to Technology Integration and Pedagogical Beliefs in Middle School Classrooms.â Professor Michael Russell from the Carolyn A. and Peter S. Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College advised the project
- The 2020 award was given to Eilidh Currie for her thesis âWhatâs the Alternative?: Attitudes of Discrimination Investigators Toward the Efficacy of Anti-Discrimination Law.â Professor Sarah Babb advised the project
- The 2021 award was given to Yitong Liu for her thesis âThe Making of a Viral Event: How Media Shapes Homeowner Protest in Urban China.â Professor Julia Chuang advised the project