Five individuals were welcomed into Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD), the international sociology honor society, this spring. The five, students Leigha Lattner, Jacqlyn Pavek and Francis Skamser, alumnus Paul Steven Schmid ’84, and Dr. Angeline Barretta-Herman, associate vice president for academic affairs, were initiated at a reception on Wednesday, April 21.

Requirements for membership for students and alumni include a major or minor in sociology or criminal justice, completion of at least four courses in sociology at the University of St. Thomas, and rank in the top 30th percentile of all students by grade point average. Sociologists who have obtained a doctorate in sociology also also eligible to be initiated.

Recipients of department awards and scholarships also were  honored at the initiation reception:

• Randy Hade was the recipient of the James G. Ahler award. This award honors an outstanding student in sociology research methods and statistics.
• Sarah Zimmerman was the recipient of the Sociologist for Women in Society award. This award is presented to a promising student in sociology with an interest in the sociology of gender.
• Lisa Grundtner and Jacqlyn Pavek were the recipients of the John C. Gessner Scholarship. This scholarship is named in honor of the late Dr. John C. Gessner, a sociology professor at the University of St. Thomas.

Schmid, a 1984 sociology graduate and 2010 AKD initiate, gave the keynote speech.