STUDENT page
Students in MSS
Almost one-half of MSS's 1200 members are students of sociology.
MSS offers each student member the opportunity to:
- be a member of a collegial professional society, on an equal basis with professional members.
- participate in the annual meeting by submitting and presenting a paper or poster.
- compete in the MSS student paper and poster competitions.
- apply for MSS grants and awards.
- fully participate in the governance of the organization through the election of officers and committee membership.
Grad Students attending the Annual Meeting
are invited to earn a Future Faculty Certificate. Click on the link to read more, below.
Got questions?
MSS student members are represented on the MSS Board of Directors by three student directors.
If you have questions about anything MSS, please feel free to contact one of the student directors listed below, or the MSS Exec Office.
Student Directors
Chad McPherson, University of Iowa
Pooya Naderi, University of Kansas
Priya Dua, University of Missouri
Executive Office
Lauren Tiffany, MSS
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Competitive Awards for Students
All posters presented will be considered for the $200
Undergraduate Poster Competition prize, to be awarded
by the Student Issues Committee.
Grants for Students
Travel Grants for Student Members
The MSS will offer travel reimbursements of $100 each to 150 student members who participate in the annual meeting.
To qualify you must
(1) be a current MSS member,
(2) act as a presenter, organizer or discussant of an annual meeting session, (3) pre-register for the 2012 annual meeting before Wednesday March 7th, and (4) submit your request via e-mail by March 7th to Pooya Naderi.
If your name is randomly drawn, you will be notified in advance of the meeting, and can pick up your check at the MSS registration desk in Minneapolis when you pick up your registration materials.
Undergraduate Research
Poster Session
Purpose: The Poster Session is designed to feature undergraduate work in sociology and promote interaction between all members of the Midwest Sociological Society.
“A poster presentation consists of an exhibit of materials that report research activities or informational resources in visual and summary form. Poster presentations provide a unique platform that facilitates personal discussion of work with interested colleagues and allows meeting attendees to browse through highlights of current research and ideas.”
-American Sociological Association
Content: Undergraduate students experience and study the “art” of sociology in many ways. This session is designed to feature these experiences and studies. Posters may present original research and data collection, theoretical works and applications, studies of public policy using sociological frameworks, as well as other forms of being engaged with the sociological imagination.
Format: Posters must be freestanding with the ability to be displayed on an easel. Posters can be created using PowerPoint or with more traditional methods and attached to a tri-panel board. More information on constructing posters will be sent to all students accepted into the session.
Expectations of Poster Presenters:
Students must be members of the Midwest Sociological Society. Student membership fees are $23. Students can use a credit card to join MSS here.
Students must preregister for the meeting. Students must become members AND pre-register by February 1, 2012. Those who do not join and register will be dropped from the program and ineligible for the competition.
Posters must be placed on easels in the exhibits area by 12:30 pm on Friday, March 30. They will be displayed for judging during Session 5, from 12:45 – 2:15. Students should be present during the poster session to answer questions about their projects. Posters should be left in place during the commons session [ice cream social!] following Session 5 and students should be available to talk about their posters with other members. Posters may be picked up by 3:30. If not picked up by 5:00, they can be claimed the next day at the MSS registration area.
All posters presented will be considered for the $200 Undergraduate Poster Competition prize, to be awarded by the Student Issues Committee.
Other Information: Poster presentations are treated like other submissions for sessions at the MSS with two exceptions: (1) All poster presenters must have a faculty sponsor. (2) Poster presentations are submitted directly to the coordinator and are NOT submitted through the online paper-submission portal.
Submission Information: Submissions should be e-mailed to the session organizer Lisa Waldner by January 6, 2012.
Submissions must include the following information:
POSTER TITLE:
AUTHOR(S):
(If there is more than one author, indicate with an asterisk (*) the principal author responsible for presenting the poster with address and email information.)
FACULTY SPONSOR: (must be a current member of MSS; provide current address and email)
ABSTRACT: (a summary of your poster in 100 words or less)
Questions? Email Poster Session Coordinator Lisa Waldner.
49th Annual Midwest Sociological Society Student Paper Competition in Honor of R. Dean Wright
The Midwest Sociological Society announces the 2012 Student Paper Competition. The competition is open to currently-enrolled undergraduate and graduate student members of MSS. Papers are judged through a blind review with separate panels of judges for graduate and undergraduate papers.
Three prizes in each division:
- 1st Prize: $250
- 2nd Prize: $150
- 3rd Prize: $100
plus waiver of annual meeting registration fee.
Prizes may be picked up by the winner at the annual meeting in Minneapolis.
MSS reserves the right not to award prizes, or to award 2nd or 3rd prizes without awarding a 1st.
Rules for the 2012 Competition
Papers
1.Research-based papers involving research on human subjects must secure Institutional Review Board approval prior to beginning research; or undergo an equivalent review procedure and describe it in the methodology section of the paper.
Research-based papers involving research on human subjects must secure Institutional Review Board approval prior to beginning research; or undergo an equivalent review procedure and describe it in the methodology section of the paper. 2.Papers may be co-authored by students, but not by students and faculty. Advisors are expected to provide guidance, but not to assist with writing the paper. A student may author or co-author only one paper in the competition.
Papers may be co-authored by students, but not by students and faculty. Advisors are expected to provide guidance, but not to assist with writing the paper. A student may author or co-author only one paper in the competition. 3.Students may nominate their own work. With a student’s permission, an advisor may submit a paper on a student’s behalf.
Students may nominate their own work. With a student’s permission, an advisor may submit a paper on a student’s behalf.4.Maximum text length is 25 double-spaced pages (12-point font), not counting abstract, references, tables or figures.
Maximum text length is 25 double-spaced pages (12-point font), not counting abstract, references, tables or figures.5.Students who submit papers to this competition may submit the same paper to sessions at the annual meeting and/or to the editor of The Sociological Quarterly for publication consideration.
Students who submit papers to this competition may submit the same paper to sessions at the annual meeting and/or to the editor of The Sociological Quarterly for publication consideration.Submission Procedures and Deadline
6.Student competitors must pay MSS dues for 2012 prior to submitting a paper. [Pay online at www.TheMSS.org ]
Student competitors must pay MSS dues for 2012 prior to submitting a paper. [Pay online at www.TheMSS.org ]7.The paper may be submitted as two to three pdf files [preferred!] or as two to three text files, but it must be submitted as two to three documents, as follows: (1) A cover sheet including title of the paper; the name, institutional affiliation, email address, telephone number, mailing address and the graduate or undergraduate status of the author(s); and the name, email address, telephone number, and mailing address of the student’s advisor. [SEE sample cover sheet.]
The paper may be submitted as two to three pdf files [preferred!] or as two to three text files, but it must be submitted as two to three documents, as follows: (1) A cover sheet including title of the paper; the name, institutional affiliation, email address, telephone number, mailing address and the graduate or undergraduate status of the author(s); and the name, email address, telephone number, and mailing address of the student’s advisor. [SEE sample cover sheet.] (2) The paper itself must include NONE of the identifying information from the cover page, but must include, at the top of its first page, the full title of the paper, followed by the abstract, if one is included.
[SEE sample paper first page.]
(3) IRB certification or appropriate documentation must be submitted as a third document, for research-based papers involving human subjects.
8.All submissions must be received by January 9, 2012. Send submissions electronically ONLY to the MSS OFFICE: [IMPORTANT: Do not send submissions to the competition chairs.]
All submissions must be received by January 9, 2012. Send submissions electronically ONLY to the MSS OFFICE: [IMPORTANT: Do not send submissions to the competition chairs.] 9.Your submission will be acknowledged by email when received. If your submission is not acknowledged within 72 hours of your sending it, it is your responsibility to follow up with the MSS Executive Director by emailing the MSS OFFICE;
Your submission will be acknowledged by email when received. If your submission is not acknowledged within 72 hours of your sending it, it is your responsibility to follow up with the MSS Executive Director by emailing the MSS OFFICE; or with a call to (608)787-8551.
Notification of Competition Results
10.All competitors will be notified of results by February 1, 2012.
All competitors will be notified of results by February 1, 2012.Questions / Other
11.Questions? Please email
Questions? Please email Kathleen McKinney
or phone her at 309-438-7706.
Email Undergraduate Chair
Kathleen Abrahamson at
or phone her at 270-745-6973.
NOTE: DO NOT send papers to the chairs!
12.NO reviews will be provided to competitors, either verbally or in writing.
NO reviews will be provided to competitors, either verbally or in writing.
© 2010 Midwest Sociological Society. All Rights Reserved.
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Future Faculty Certification Program
This program provides a structure for focusing your conference participation on teaching and learning skill development; thus, it documents and recognizes a student’s participation in sessions directly focused on teaching and professional development in sociology.
In order to receive the MSS Certification you must attend 5 sessions, as listed in this document. There are multiple sessions in nearly every time slot. Please confirm the session details in the full program. Verify your attendance with a signature from an organizer, presider, discussant, or one of the presenters at the end of each session you attend (only one signature per session is required). In addition to this signed document, include your answer to the following question: How have the sessions you attended contributed to your professional development in sociology? This reflective essay should be approximately 1-2 pages.
This completed sheet with signatures should be turned in to Student Director, Priya Dua, in person or to MSS Registration, 4th floor, by 12:00 PM Sunday. The reflective essay can be turned in with this signed sheet, or alternatively if additional time is needed, emailed as an attachment to Priya Dua by Sunday, April 8, 2012. Later, you will be emailed a certificate of completion that can be highlighted on your curriculum vitae.
