newsletter_2025 - Flipbook - Page 11
Ayad Al-Qazzaz Sociology Student Poster Symposium
The Sociology Department hosted
its annual Ayad Al-Qazzaz Sociology
Student Poster Symposium on May 6th,
2025 at the Carlsen Center. During the
event, more than 80 students presented
around 40 posters from their research
and public sociology projects focused
on the following topics: Racial Capitalism
and Labor Exploitation; Gender,
Sexuality, and Reproductive Justice;
Higher Education and Institutional
Inequality; State Violence and Carceral
Systems; Environmental and Health
Inequities; Media, Ideology, and Social
Control; Labor, Precarity, and Resistance;
Social Determinants of Wellbeing;
Technology and Human Futures; and
Intersectional Marginalizations. The goal
of this year’s symposium was to explore
how sociological research, theory, and
praxis are vital for contextualizing and
challenging the current social, political,
and economic climate we find ourselves
within. It also sought to remind us
that collective resistance, solidarity,
and community-led alternatives can
reclaim power, technology and space
for liberation and equity. Presenters
included graduate and undergraduate
sociology students from the following
classes: SOC 199: Individual Study Projects,
SOC 144: Public Health, SOC 102 & SOC
103: Research Methods, SOC 123: Black
Studies, SOC 192: Sociological Theory. In
addition to the posters, a guest speaker
panel featured Dr. Madeleine Kerrick
(Education Insight Center), Dave Weiner
(UC Berkeley NSF I-Corps), and Jose
Alvarez Torres (California Rural Legal
Assistance - Pro Bono Department).
The event would not have been possible
without the generous donation of
Professor Ayad Al-Qazzaz, the leadership
of Amalia Perez Martin and Christopher
Rogers (Symposium Committee Co-Chairs)
and Amy Liu (Sociology Department
Chair), the support of Vanesa Alejos
(Research Student Center), Suzzanne
Castaneda (University Print), Millie
Ballesteros and Lex Hylaris (sociology
staff ), as well as the participating faculty
Gabrielle Gonzalez, Aya Kimura Ida, Trish
Morris, Lina Rincon, Heidy Sarabia, and
Amanda Shigihara.
L to R: Chris Rogers, Ayad Al-Qazzaz, and Amalia Perez Martinez
Photos courtesy of Sociology
College of SSIS Welcome Back and Fall Social
The College of SSIS held its annual Welcome Back and Fall Social on September 24, 2025. This event welcomes back the faculty
and staff for a new academic year and the Dean shares important updates with the college.
L to R: Catheryn Koss, Kristin Van Gaasbeck,
Raleigh Wilcox
Page 11
L to R: Erica Costa, Heidy Sarabia, Nitika Sharma,
Millicent Ballesteros
L to R: Sujatha Moni, Theresa Abah, Jaime Jackson,
James Rae, Erika Cessna
College of SSIS Newsletter
