The section offers three awards to sociologists who have worked hard to make a difference through the practice of sociology:
- The William Foote Whyte Award
- The Robert Dentler Award for Outstanding Student Achievement
- The SPPS Publication Award
William Foote Whyte Award:
The Sociological Practice and Public Sociology Section recognizes up to two (2) individuals who have made notable contributions to sociological practice which can include several of the following elements: outstanding clinical, applied or public sociological work; exceptional service to the section; publications that advance both the theory and methods of sociological practice or public sociology; or mentoring and training of students for careers in sociological practice or public sociology. Self-nominations are welcome. Nominees are required to be members of the American Sociological Association (ASA), but are not required to be SPPS Section members. However, membership in the section is strongly encouraged. If you have any questions, please email the Committee Chair, Marie Skoczylas (Highmark Health), at mb.skoczylas@gmail.com with the subject line William Foote Whyte Career Award.
Robert Dentler Award for Outstanding Student Achievement:
The Sociological Practice and Public Sociology Section recognizes up to two (2) graduate students who have made a promising contribution to the field, such as a project or paper in the area of sociological practice or public sociology. Work can be done in the three (3) years prior to the conferral of the award. Self-nominations are welcome. Nominees are required to be members of the American Sociological Association (ASA), but are not required to be SPPS Section members. However, membership in the section is strongly encouraged. If you have any questions, please email the Committee Chair, Sandra Stone (University of Florida), at sandrastone@usf.edu with the subject line Robert F. Dentler Student Practitioner Award. Self-nominations are welcome.
SPPS Publication Award:
The Sociological Practice and Public Sociology Section recognizes up to two publications that have made significant contributions to applied and public sociology. The award is given for a white paper, policy report, essay published as a book chapter or official report, or an article published in a scholarly journal during the preceding three (3) years. Self-nominations are welcome. Nominees are required to be members of the American Sociological Association (ASA), but are not required to be SPPS Section members. However, membership in the section is strongly encouraged. If you have any questions, please email the Committee Chair, Brandon McReynolds (Bluegrass Forward) at bsmcre01@gmail.com with the subject line Outstanding Publication Award.
2026 Call for Nominations
The deadline for nominations is March 1, 2026. You may use the link below to submit a nomination.
To see the list of past awardees, review the Past Awardees tab.
Please note that all nominees must be registered members of ASA and SPPS to be considered for section awards.
Sociological Practice and Public Sociology (SPPS) 