SECTION ON ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIOLOGY

Dear Envirosoc Community Members,

We sadly note the passing of Craig R. Humphrey, professor, sailor, and family man, who died peacefully at home July 31 with his wife by his side.  He was 82 and had been diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.

Craig, the son of Ruth (Reed) and Roger Humphrey, grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, graduated from Bowling Green State University and received his Masters and Doctorate degrees in sociology from Brown University.  He taught sociology courses about urban growth, world population and environmental sociology at the College of William and Mary and Penn State University and spent several semesters as a visiting professor at the University of Wisconsin and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.  Craig authored numerous books and papers, most notably Environment, Energy and Society, published in 1982.  Continually active in professional associations, Craig chaired the Environmental Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association which recognized him for his scholarship, teaching, and service with the Distinguished Service Award in 2003.

Craig and his wife of 59 years, Cathy (Clark), met when both were students at Brown.  They have two grown daughters and three grandchildren.  Michelle (Humphrey) Nixon and her husband Andrew have two children, Nathaniel and Adele.  Gwen (Humphrey) Neifert and her husband Jason have a son, Hunter.  Interacting with his grandchildren gave Craig great pleasure as did family gatherings.

For many years, Craig enjoyed owning, maintaining and sailing wooden sailboats.  As his wife, Cathy, fondly remembers, their first date was a trip to Narragansett Bay and a sail on Craig’s first boat, a wooden Lightning.  Over the years, Craig took great pride in painting the hulls and varnishing the bright work of his various boats.  Sailing trips became a family tradition, enjoyed by all.

After retiring from Penn State, Craig was active in local government.  He ran for and won a position on the State College, Pennsylvania, Borough Council.  When he and Cathy moved to East Hampton, Craig was appointed to the East Hampton Village Planning Board and the East Hampton Village Zoning Board of Appeals.  At this time, Craig also became interested in exploring his family’s genealogy after attending a presentation at the East Hampton Library in 2010, “Finding Your Family History.”  Much to his surprise, Craig was able to trace his roots back to a captain who fought in the American Revolution which led to his membership in the Sons of the American Revolution.  Consequently, Craig became active in the Long Island Chapter of the SAR and served as its historian for a number of years. 

Craig loved living in East Hampton in the 100 year old house inherited from Cathy’s parents—known as “The Clark House.”  He took pride in having painted every room in the house and enjoyed keeping the yard in pristine shape, planting flowering shrubs and spring bulbs wherever there was space and sunshine.  

Craig was cremated and his ashes interred at Cedar Lawn Cemetery in East Hampton during a family ceremony.  

Memorials in Craig’s name may be made to East End Hospice, PO Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978.

Dear Envirosoc Community Members,

It is with sadness that we note the recent passing of one of environmental sociology’s founding members, William Burch. An obituary documenting his life and legacy can be found here. For those who knew him, there is also a Virtual Tribute Wall where memories and photos can be posted.

Please see below for descriptions and nomination instructions for the four awards that our Section will grant this year, and consider nominating yourself or a colleague! Nominees do not need to be section members, but in accordance with ASA policies, award recipients must be current members of the American Sociological Association at the time the award is given. The same award will not be given to the same individual more than once.

The Environmental Sociology Outstanding Publication Award

This is given for publications of special noteworthiness in the field of environmental sociology. This year the committee will consider books published within the period January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2023. Self-nominations are welcome. To nominate a book, please email a nomination letter by March 15^th, 2024 to Policy & Research Committee Chair, Nikhil Deb (ndeb@calpoly.edu).

The Environmental Sociology Student Paper Award

The purpose of this award is to recognize an outstanding paper written by a graduate student or group of graduate students. All members of the Section and the ASA are encouraged to submit nominations; self-nominations are also welcome. In addition to recognition, recipients will receive a modest monetary award. Papers do not have to be published, accepted for publication or submitted to the ASA meeting to be considered. They must have been submitted to the ASA annual meeting and/or to a journal by a graduate student(s) between January 1^st, 2023 and December 31^st, 2023 in order to be considered. Papers co-authored with faculty are ineligible. To nominate a paper, please send a PDF copy of the paper along with a nomination letter that includes information about the paper’s status by March 15^th, 2024 to Policy & Research Committee Chair, Nikhil Deb (ndeb@calpoly.edu).

The Environmental Sociology Distinguished Contribution Award.

This award is given annually to recognize individuals for outstanding service, innovation, or publication in environmental sociology. It is intended to be an expression of appreciation, awarded when an individual is deemed extraordinarily meritorious by the Section. All members of the Section are encouraged to submit nominations; self-nominations are welcome. Nominations for this award must be received by April 15^th, 2024. To nominate an individual for this award, please send a letter of nomination describing the nominee’s contribution to environmental sociology and/or the sociology of technology, accompanied by a copy of the nominee’s CV, to the chair of the award committee, Sandra Marquart-Pyatt, Past-Chair, (marqua41@msu.edu). Please put “Distinguished Contribution Award Nomination” in the subject line.

The Environmental Sociology Teaching and Mentorship Award

This award honors faculty members who demonstrate a notable dedication to teaching and mentorship, including through innovative pedagogy; actionable attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion; robust community-engaged approaches; and/or other elements of excellence in the teaching of environmental sociology and mentorship of students at the undergraduate and/or graduate level. All members of the Section are encouraged to submit nominations; self-nominations are welcome. The award is open to faculty of any rank, including tenure-track or contingent positions. Nomination packages should be scanned into a single PDF and submitted by email to Alan Rudy (rudy1a@cmich.edu) by April 15, 2024. Nomination packages should include: (1) Letter of Nomination, not to exceed 2 pages, (2) personal statement on teaching and mentorship philosophy, not to exceed 3 pages, (3) CV with the relevant components highlighted, such as teaching/mentoring awards and activities, publications or presentations co‐authored with students (underline the names of student co‐authors and indicate whether undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral student). Nominations will be vetted within two weeks and a selection of candidates will be asked to submit a comprehensive packet of additional materials including: (1) a maximum of 5 letters of student support (any mix of present or past students), (2) a maximum of 2 additional letters of support from colleagues who are not former students, (3) a maximum of 3 syllabi or other relevant material from the past 5 years, and (4) excerpts or summaries of teaching evaluations as desired.