News
Check out our Current Students page for the most up-to-date list of current student accomplishments. You can also check out our Where Are They Now? page for the most updated information on recent graduates’ job and graduate school placements.
Recent News & Events
Congratulations Class of 2021!
Congratulations to our Class of 2021 graduates! To see where our graduates are going, visit our Where Are They Now? page.
Where Faith and Community Come Together
Current Sociology and Psychology major, Faith Briars '23, was profiled by the Campus Chronicle, highlighting her involvement on campus and desire to work in criminal justice reform.
Congratulations Class of 2020!
Congratulations to our Class of 2020 graduates! We are so proud of each and everyone of our Sociology and Criminology students.
Alpha Kappa Delta Inducts 2020 Members
Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD) - the honor society of Sociology & Criminology majors at Valparaiso University - recently inducted five new members: Jade Curless, Connor Martin, Eleanor Riordan, Lexi Rudolph, and Becca Wireman! Congratulations! AKD inducts new members who fit the follow criteria: Be a junior or senior in good standing; Be a major in sociology; Have completed a minimum of four regular sociology courses at Valpo; Possess at least a 3.3 overall GPA; Possess at least a 3.5 GPA in sociology and criminology courses taken at Valpo. For more on how to join AKD, click here.
Ethnicity, Religion, and Politics in Nation Building: The Ghanaian Case
On November 19, 2019, Alpha Kappa Delta and the Sociology/Criminology Department will be sponsoring a guest lecture by Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Minister for Inner-City and Zongo Development from 7-8pm in the Harre Union Brown and Gold Room.
Professor Lavin-Loucks wins the John F. Schnabel Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award given by the North Central Sociological Association
In recognition of her exceptional teaching, Dr. Danielle Lavin-Loucks, Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminology at Valparaiso University, received the North Central Sociological Association’s 2017 John F. Schnabel Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award. The principal criterion for the award is excellence in some activity enhancing the teaching of sociology for the NCSA or within the North Central region. The selection criteria: Candidates should exhibit teaching excellence in a variety of capacities, including with students, with colleagues, and for the NCSA. As such, the selection committee looks for evidence that candidates have a record of: sharing pioneering innovations in curriculum design; developing creative instructional materials; publishing and/or presentations about teaching sociology; contributing to the teaching emphasis of NCSA; facilitating faculty developmental efforts.
Valpo Professor Danielle Lavin-Loucks Wins Annual Excellence in Teaching Award
Valpo’s Committee to Enhance Learning and Teaching has selected Jennifer Bjornstad, Danielle Lavin-Loucks and Kevin Ostoyich as the 2017–2018 Valparaiso University Excellence in Teaching Award recipients. “I am so pleased and impressed by the great work of these outstanding faculty members,” said Mark L. Biermann, Ph.D., provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “Their commitment to our students, to strong pedagogy, and to Valpo is an inspiration to me and to so may others. Most importantly, these individuals reflect the incredible quality of our faculty overall. It is an honor to work with them every day.” Valpo faculty are frequently honored for outstanding quality. Most recently, U.S. News & World Report ranked Valparaiso University No. 1 for Best Undergraduate Teaching in the Midwest for 2017. Valpo’s Excellence in Teaching Award recognizes a number of outstanding undergraduate faculty and/or units each year for general teaching excellence, with particular attention to excellence…
Angelys Torres Named 2016 Newman Civic Fellow
Campus Compact honored Angelys Torres ’18 as a 2016 Newman Civic Fellow for outstanding civic engagement — offering a crucial voice and demonstrating leadership for students on Valpo’s campus and in the broader community. “At once intellectual and active, practical and personable, a leader and a servant, Angelys Torres is the kind of student Valparaiso University is proud to call its own,” Mark A. Heckler, Ph.D., president of the University, wrote in his recommendation letter. “Angelys is a leader in the classroom, on campus, in the city of Valparaiso, and in her home community of Chicago. She constantly strives to understand and improve the world around her by drawing on the wisdom of the humanities, the theoretical tools of the social sciences, and her own capacity to organize and lead others.” Torres is a Christ College scholar and sociology major with a minor in psychology who seeks to be a…
Valpo Professor Lissa Yogan Wins Annual Excellence in Teaching Award
Valparaiso University's Committee to Enhance Learning and Teaching has selected Lissa Yogan as one of the few Valpo professors to receive the Excellence in Teaching Award for 2013–2014. "We are very proud of the excellent teachers that we have here at Valparaiso University," said Rick Gillman, assistant provost for faculty affairs. "We are pleased to have been able to expand both the number and value of our teaching awards this year so that we could recognize both more individuals and more diverse contributions to the teaching and learning enterprise. As always, it was difficult for the committee to select the three winners from among the outstanding pool of nominees." Yogan, associate professor of sociology and criminology, was recognized for curriculum/course development. Over her career, Yogan has taught many different sociology courses at different levels using various delivery formats. She sets standards and develops rubrics to help students achieve academic growth…