The South Dakota State University Department of Rural Sociology recognized achievements of students and faculty this spring.



Edward Hruska, Brookings, received the Douglas M. Chittick Memorial scholarship for academic and leadership excellence while supporting himself through two jobs.



Senior Virginia Langle, Emery, received the Howard M. Sauer Family scholarship for showing great promise in the profession.



The Grove-Law Internship award for women students engaged in social action community work was given to Jennifer Rumpca, Webster.



Both Katie Dreiling, Moorhead, Minn., and Samuel Claster, Lock Haven, Pa., received the Robert T. and Mary K. Wagner Graduate scholarship. The awards recognize graduate students for their potential in the discipline and involvement in professional associations. The scholarship is named for the former SDSU president and his wife, also a sociology professor.



The Robert T. McNamara Graduate Scholar recognition was awarded to first year doctoral student Tyson Abbott, of St. Louis, Mo., for his scholarly paper judged in competition with other submissions.



Division I women’s basketball Independent All-Academic team member and graduating senior Ashlea Muckenhirn, Osceola, Wis., received the Ted J. Larson Memorial award for her outstanding overall grade point.



A doctoral student, Saileza Khatiwada, from Nepal, was honored with the William E. and Harriet B. Gould Memorial scholarship based on her outstanding research proposal submitted in competition with others. Her research relates to her own journey and experience in a dissertation proposal titled “Deciding to Come to the United States: International Students and Adaptation.”



Eleven of 47 undergraduates who took the required exit examinations were recognized for their meritorious performance on those exams.



Faculty member Meredith Redlin was promoted to full professor. She served as a Fulbright Scholar teaching in Izhevsk, Russia during the fall 2008 semester.



Jacob Jantzer, whose specialty is criminology, and Katie Dreiling, whose speciality is general sociology and criminal justice, have joined the department to teach in their specialty areas and other sociology classes.



Retired faculty members, Geoffrey Grant and Robert Mendelsohn received emeritus status.



Donna J. Hess, distinguished professor and department head, received a lifetime excellence in service award from the Great Plains Sociological Association. Hess will retire this June after 35 years of service and teaching at SDSU.



For the complete article see the 06-15-2009 issue.

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