Committee on the Status of Women

The Committee on the Status of Women in Sociology supports scholarship and activism by or for women-identified people in the discipline of sociology, in the affairs of PSA, and in the creation of relevant conference sessions. It reports to the Council and membership of the Association its findings and recommendations for enhancing participation.

The Committee consists of six members of the Association. Membership of the committee is appointed by the Committee on Committees for a three conference/two year term of office. Each year two members begin, and two members end their term of office. While members of the Committee on the Status of Women may recommend prospective members to the Committee on Committees, they do not select their own members. They do, however, elect the committee’s chair. The chair of the Committee on the Status of Women is elected by the committee members from among their ranks and must be someone who will be a continuing and active member of the committee for at least one year. The chair is elected at the scheduled meeting of the committee during the annual PSA meeting and serves for one year. The chair can be reelected.

1. Responsibilities and duties of the committee.  In addition to monitoring the participation of women in the discipline and the association, the committee also proposes sessions for the annual meeting and tries to identify candidates for office or committees in order to maintain gender balance. Candidates for committees are forwarded to the Chair of the Committee on Committee’s and candidates for elected office are forwarded to the Chair of the Nomination’s Committee.
2. Procedures for making decisions.  Decisions of the committee are made at the annual meeting and/or through email correspondence between the chair and committee members.
3. Duties of the Chair.  The chair develops the agenda for the annual committee meeting. It is the chair’s responsibility to communicate to Council action items that require Council decision or input. The chair also keep the committee’s files in order and passes it on to the next chair. In addition, the chair makes certain that sessions to be sponsored by the committee are submitted to the online system (invited sessions) or included in the Open Call (by May 1).  Finally, the chair has the responsibility for writing the annual minutes/report on the committee’s activities and submitting this to the Secretary by May 1.
4. Calendar of Committee Activities.

• by October: Chair communicates with members of the committee and establishes the committee’s agenda for the coming year.
• by March: Chair establishes the committee’s specific agenda for the annual meeting. The agenda is sent by email at least three weeks prior to the meeting.
• at the annual meeting: The Chair conducts the meeting. Appoints someone to take notes. Passes on action items, if any, to PSA Council. Discussion of next year’s PSA meeting and possible sessions the committee might sponsor. Specific members are assigned specific responsibilities.
• by May 1: Make certain all sponsored sessions to be included in the Open Call are sent to the Secretary, as well as the committee’s notes.

2024-2025 Members
Kemi Balogun (25) University of Oregon
Jamie Palmer (25) Nevada State College

2023-2024 Members
Soo-Yeon Yoon (24) Sonoma State University
Lori Walkington (24) CSU San Marcos
Kemi Balogun (25) University of Oregon
Jamie Palmer (25) Nevada State College

2022-2023 Members
Gabriele Ciciurkaite (22) Utah State University  Chair
Naghme Morlock (23) Gonzaga University
Megan Carroll (23) CSU San Bernardino
Soo-Yeon Yoon (24) Sonoma State University
Lori Walkington (24) CSU San Marcos

2021-2022 Members
Sojung Lim (22) Utah State University
Gabriele Ciciurkaite (22) Utah State University  Chair
Naghme Morlock (23) Gonzaga University
Megan Carroll (23) CSU San Bernardino

2020-2021 Members
Alicia Bonaparte (21) Pitzer College
Emily Drew (21) Willamette University
Sojung Lim (22) Utah State University   Chair
Gabriele Ciciurkaite (22) Utah State University

2019-2020 Members
Ryanne Pilgeram (20) University of Idaho   Chair
Sojung Lim (20) Utah State University
Alicia Bonaparte (21) Pitzer College
Emily Drew (21) Willamette University

2018-19 Members
Michelle Robertson (19) St. Edward’s University, Chair
Alicia M. Gonzales (19) CSU San Marcos
Ryanne Pilgeram (20) University of Idaho
Sojung Lim (20) Utah State University

2017-18 Members
Krystale Littlejohn (18) Occidental College
Richelle Swan (18) CSU San Marcos
Michelle Robertson (19) St. Edward’s University
Alicia M. Gonzales (19) CSU San Marcos, Chair
beginning service in 2018:
Ryanne Pilgeram (20) University of Idaho
Sojung Lim (20) Utah State University

2016-17 Members
Judith Hennessy (17) Central Washington University, Chair
Melanie Arthur (17) University of Alaska
Krystale Littlejohn (18) Occidental College
Richelle Swan (18) CSU San Marcos
beginning service in 2017: 
Michelle Robertson (19) St. Edward’s University
Alicia M. Gonzales (19) CSU San Marcos

2015-16 Members
Faye Wachs (16) Cal Poly Pomona, Chair
Brenda Wilhelm (16) Colorado Mesa
Amanda Admire (16) UC Riverside (Student)
Judith Hennessy (17) Central Washington University
Melanie Arthur (17) University of Alaska

2014-15 Members
Katrina Kimport University of California, San Francisco (Central)
Zeynep Kilic  University Alaska Anchorage (Northern), Chair
Cynthia Siemsen  California State University, Chico (Central)
Brenda Wilhelm  Colorado Mesa (Central)
Faye Wachs  Cal Poly Pomona (Southern)
Amanda Admire University of California, Riverside (Southern, Student)