Scholarships & Awards in Sociology, Criminology, & Justice Studies

Awards for academic excellence and campus leadership:

  • Premier Department Scholar Awards
  • Albert E. Lovejoy Endowed Prize
    The Albert E. Lovejoy Prize in Sociology is awarded to a sociology major(s) who is a junior or senior and demonstrates a solid academic performance, a high level of commitment to public and community leadership and a strong global perspective.
  • Departmental Scholarship
    Departmental scholarship awards are given each year to select students who must possess a minimum 3.0 GPA. The awards are provided through departments of the university.
  • Phyllis Weygandt Auerbach ’57 Memorial Endowed Award
    The Phyllis Weygandt Auerbach ’57 Memorial Award is awarded to a senior student(s) who plans to enter the field of human services. The student shall have a 3.25 cumulative grade point average, have participated in a volunteer program in human services during his/her undergraduate years, have been actively involved in extracurricular activities and have plans to enter graduate school.
  • Ventresca Family Endowment for Research and Internship
    The Ventresca Family Fund is available to all declared Sociology majors who demonstrate a desire to pursue additional career preparation through work outside the classroom in a venue such as internship, cooperative or research opportunity. The award may be used to pay for tuition, fees, travel living expenses, research supplies, and/or costs related to the experience. It is available year round through application to the Sociology Department Chair and the student’s advisor.
  • Merriss-Cornell Endowed Research Fund for the Study of Women in Society
    The Merriss ’33 and Carol Cornell Endowed Research Fund for the Study of Women in Society promotes research focused on the gift of The Lucinda Lenore Merriss Cornell Diaries and related materials in memory of Carol Cornell’s husband, Merriss, Class of 1933. Professor Cornell is grandson and namesake of Lucinda and great-grandson of Angeline Bishop Cornell, one of the first women to attend Otterbein. This award is made to students, faculty or staff whose academic work includes the study of women in society, their lifestyles, writings and/or history of women, focusing on, but not limited to, the Cornell Diaries. Student work must include for public review a scholarly paper, exhibit, performance or project under supervision of an advisor. Proposals must be submitted to the chairperson of the Department of Sociology by November 15 of each year; completed project is to be submitted by May 15.