Students, family, faculty, and staff gathered at the Bone Student Center’s Old Main Room on May 3 for the Department of Sociology and Anthropology’s 24th annual student awards ceremony and luncheon in celebration of student achievement.
From left, Dr. Abby Stone (ANT), Dr. Joan Brehm (SOC, Department Chair), Ryan Gray (Director of Student Services), Aaron Woodruff, Jennifer Woodruff (SOC) 
Ceremony attendees 
Laura Strunck, middle, with Dr. Logan Miller (ANT), left, and Dr. Shelby Putt (ANT)
2024 Edward and Juliet Jelks Scholarship recipient: Carly Reilley
The Edward and Juliet Jelks Scholarship is awarded to provide financial assistance to an anthropology student enrolled in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology with a concentration in archaeology and with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above. The student must be a sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate student.
Not pictured: Carley Reilley
2024 Martin K. Nickels Scholarship recipient: Rachael Kooistra
The Martin K. Nickels Scholarship was established to help support an undergraduate anthropology major’s participation in a summer field school.
2024 John Kinneman Scholarship recipients: Kevin Garzon and Austin Wilson
John Kinneman was a sociologist and the chair of the Social Science Department prior to the founding of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. The John Kinneman Scholarship is awarded to a junior or senior sociology major who has demonstrated a serious record of academic excellence. The award is the highest academic honor the sociology program bestows on an undergraduate student.
2024 Ben Keeley Scholarship recipients: Carlos Morn-Toro and Jayden Wilburn-Johnson
The Ben Keeley Scholarship is awarded to a senior in sociology and recognizes a student who demonstrated significant involvement in service and/or volunteer work to the community. The award winner must have at least a 3.0 GPA and must submit a 600-word essay on the relevance of sociology to service and volunteerism in American communities.
2024 R. Douglas and Janice Irvine Endowed Scholarship recipient: Jakai Martin
The R. Douglas and Janice Irvine Endowed Scholarship was established in 2013. This scholarship is awarded to one sociology major of at least sophomore standing who has attained a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
2024 Wib Leonard Scholarship recipient: Sydney Laux
The Wib Leonard Scholarship is awarded to a student majoring in sociology or anthropology who shows competence and passion for the quantitative side of either discipline. Dr. Wib Leonard wrote the proposal for social statistics in the early 1970s, has taught social statistics over 130 times, has five revisions of the original text, Basic Social Statistics, that’s been used since the initial publication in 1976, and has been a faculty consultant for the advanced placement statistics tests. He has been teaching at Illinois State for 55 years.
2024 Social Aspects of Aging Scholarship recipient: Peyten Toney
The Social Aspects of Aging Scholarship gives recognition and encouragement to an Illinois State University student from Sociology and Anthropology who has shown interest and initiative in the fields of health, aging, or wellness.
2024 Robert Dirks Senior Thesis Award recipient: Valerie Howerton
Robert Dirks is a cultural anthropologist who specializes in the relationship between food and culture, especially in the Caribbean. Dirks was one of the first cultural anthropologists in our department and therefore helped shape the curriculum. He was adamant that each anthropology major should complete a senior thesis, a tradition that continues to this day. The Robert Dirks Senior Thesis Award is therefore given to an anthropology student with the strongest senior thesis in each senior thesis class. This year, the Robert Dirks Senior Thesis Award was presented at the department’s annual Anthropology Rites of Passage ceremony, a celebration for graduating anthropology majors.
2024 Ed Jelks Outstanding Anthropology Senior Award recipient: Ryleigh Hickman
Dr. Ed Jelks was a historical archaeologist and a founding member of the Society for Historical Archaeology. He founded the Midwest Archaeological Center that was housed in our department and, in 2010, he was presented with a lifetime achievement award by the Illinois Archaeological Survey. Each year, the Anthropology faculty present the Ed Jelks Outstanding Senior Award to a senior student who embodies academic excellence and active engagement with anthropology within our program and beyond.
2024 Rising Young Sociologist Award recipient: Jayden Wilburn-Johnson
The Rising Young Sociologist Award is given to an outstanding sociology major currently in their junior year who demonstrates exceptional academic achievement and a high level of campus and community engagement.
Recipients embody strong character and leadership qualities. To be eligible for the award, students must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.7, have attended Illinois State for at least four semesters, and be on schedule to graduate in the academic year after receiving the award. Award recipients also serve as the program’s nominee for the University’s prestigious Bone Scholarship competition.
2024 Rising Young Anthropologist Award recipient: Rebecca Groebe
As a companion to the previous award, The Rising Young Anthropologist Award is given to an outstanding anthropology major currently in their junior year who demonstrates exceptional academic achievement and a high level of campus and community engagement. Recipients embody strong character and leadership qualities. To be eligible for the award, students must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.7, have attended Illinois State for at least four semesters, and be on schedule to graduate in the academic year after receiving the award. Award recipients also serve as the program’s nominee for the University’s prestigious Bone Scholarship competition.
2024 Charter Department Graduate Student Excellence Award recipient: Sarah Sciba
The Charter Department Graduate Student Excellence Award has been given annually since 1994 to the graduate student who demonstrates the most academic promise for success in our program. All sociology graduate students who have completed at least one semester of graduate work in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Illinois State but have earned 18 total credit hours or less are eligible.
2024 ASA/ISU Distinguished Sociology Graduate Student Award recipient: Esther Oshaji
The ASA/ISU Distinguished Sociology Graduate Student Award has been given annually since 1994 to the student who has most distinguished themself over the course of the master’s degree program. All sociology graduate students who have earned more than 18 total credit hours are eligible.
2024 Aspiring Sociology or Anthropology Major Scholarship recipient: Faith Lawson
The Aspiring Sociology or Anthropology Major Scholarship seeks to recognize and acknowledge students who have declared sociology or anthropology within their first year at Illinois State University.
2024 Nick Maroules Study Abroad Scholarship recipient: Rachael Kooistra
This scholarship is available to undergraduate students who have been accepted to a study abroad program.
2024 Scott Elliott Endowment for Sociology and Anthropology Award recipients: Fiona Fleming, Nolan Herman, Carlos Morn-Toro, Yasmin Odeh, Esther Oshaji, Vivian Yawson
Scott M. Elliot attended Illinois State from 1979-84, graduating with a major in economics and a minor in sociology. After leaving Illinois State, Elliot received a master’s in statistics and economics. In 2006, he made a sizable gift benefitting the Departments of Economics, Philosophy, and Sociology and Anthropology. In SOA, we use the funds to support travel for undergraduate and graduate students who travel to professional meetings and make presentations. The ability to support this kind of professional development is invaluable for both students and faculty.
2023-24 Honors Students: Kaley Beckman, Ariel Branch, Lucas Chase, Rebecca Groebe, Ryleigh Hickman, Brooklynn Leopoldo, Megan Lowe, Jakai Martin, Avery Pierre, Ella Woodruff, Ashley Woolard
The mission of the Honors Program is to promote exceptional learning by enriching students’ learning experiences at Illinois State University. To be an honors student at Illinois State, students must maintain a 3.3 GPA or higher and participate each semester in honor’s experiences.
2024 Alpha Kappa Delta, International Honor Society of Sociology inductees: Kaley Beckman, Madison Bobrytzke, Elena Cotter, Lucia DePaz, Amber Dixon, Paris Ford, Nicole Haislip, Sydney Laux, Marissa Luce, Sophia Mazurek, Esther Oshaji, Melody Rosche, Sarah Sciba, Kinlee Spranger, Jayden Wilburn-Johnson, Austin Wilson
The international honor society in sociology, Alpha Kappa Delta’s mission is to develop scientific knowledge that promotes human welfare and contributes to solving social problems. Membership is a high honor and only the best students are invited to join. Upon their initiation, inductees become lifelong members in the honor society.
2024 Lambda Alpha, National Anthropology Honor Society inductees: Rebecca Blood, Riley Francis, Vanessa Hernandez, Arielle Hernandez Lyons, Katherine Norris, Carley Reilley, Katelyn Roderick, Kayla Royse, Laura Strunck
Lambda Alpha is the National Collegiate Honors Society for anthropology. Its purposes are to promote interest in the study of anthropology as a university discipline, to recognize outstanding student performance, and to encourage scholarship and research in anthropology. To be invited, undergraduates have to have a 3.25 overall GPA, and graduate students have to have a 3.6.
Dean’s List, Spring 2023: Zack Aleman, Ta’Marra Anderson, Kaley Beckman, Ariel Branch, Ray Braziel, KiAmbri Edwards, Wyatt Frere, Jackson Garrett, Conor Grande, Rebecca Groebe, Ryleigh Hickman, Emily Hunter, Ciara Jennings, Rachael Kooistra, Brittney Lewis, Megan Lowe, Emily Monroe, Kaysee O’Gara, Hattie Parsons, Carley Reilley, Garrett Rice, Michaela Schroeder, Lisa Simmons, Grace Smith, Laura Strunck, Maureena Terven, Gabi Tkacz, Jayden Wilburn-Johnson, and Austin Wilson
Dean’s List, Fall 2023: Blaze Ballowe, Nicole Batkiewicz, Kaley Beckman, Lucas Chase, Emma Darr, Tyler Despe, Georgana Ducharm, Paris Ford, Kevin Garzon, Camille Goldberg, Rebecca Groebe, Nicole Haislip, Day’Lyona Hardnett-Servin, Vanessa Hernandez, Ryleigh Hickman, Emily Hunter, Rachael Kooistra, Olivia Kot, Sydney Laux, Faith Lawson, Marissa Luce, Deborah May, Hannah Nagel, Kaysee O’Gara, Mackenzie Raddatz, Carley Reilley, Zach Reynolds, Heather Salmons, Cassie Schwarzentraub, Kinlee Spranger, Laura Strunck, Maureena Terven, Nolan Wiese, Austin Wilson, and Ashley Woolard.
Undergraduate students who meet high academic standards are included in a Dean’s List issued each semester. To be on the Dean’s List, a student must complete 12 or more semester hours and have a GPA in the top 10% in the college.
