Marxe School Professor Robert Courtney Smith Wins 2024 Public Sociology Award

April 3, 2024

Baruch College Professor Robert Courtney Smith received the 2024 Public Sociology Award from the Eastern Sociological Society (ESS), a nonprofit organization committed to “promoting excellence in sociological scholarship and instruction.”

According to the ESS, the annual award recognizes sociologists who have both done “cutting-edge sociological research and engaged in meaningful public work using that research.”

Professor Smith is currently working on two publicly engaged fieldwork projects. The first is how the pandemic impacted immigrant families and children’s learning and language development in upstate New York. Another is how New York State’s 2021 Excluded Worker Fund affected immigrant workers and families.

“I am very humbled and pleased to receive this award from ESS,” says Smith, who served as the organization’s president in 2022.

“The intent of the award was to recognize scholars doing excellent publicly engaged sociological work. While most of us go into scholarly careers hoping our work will help fight injustices and make the world better, academic careers and institutions disincentivize such work.”

Professor Smith recently wrote a piece for American Behavioral Scientist about how to do publicly engaged work while pursuing a scholarly career.

In the article, Smith said he believes “scholars should help create a society that respects the rights, dignity, and well-being of its members, especially immigrant families. I have sought to study questions that could help reduce injustice or inequality, and where possible to work toward practical action promoting such change, inside and beyond academic institutions, including work developing the capacity for such work of immigrant communities, students, and leaders.”

Smith is willing to talk to any CUNY student about his publicly engaged research. Learn more about Dr. Smith here.

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