Students walking to and from class on the Quad

Fostering critical and analytical thinking.
Yusuf Karipek stands against a neutral background. He wears a collared shirt and vest and is smiling slightly.
Yusuf Karipek recieves 2026 Aristide Zolberg Distinguished Student Scholar Award
Congratulations to Sociology PhD student Yusuf Karipek, whose paper “Ties that Bind, Documents that Trap: Transnational Repression through Abuse of Consular Services,” was selected to receive the 2026 Aristide Zolberg Distinguished...
Soodeh Mansouri wears a colorful knit scarf and smiles at the viewer.
Soodeh Mansouri recieves Illinois Global Institute language fellowship
The Illinois Global Institute has selected Sociology PhD student Soodeh Mansouri to receive a language fellowship to study Arabic during the 2026-2026 academic year. Mansouri is one of seventeen students to receive this language fellowship. Congratulations, Soodeh!
A graphic with photos of Nikel A. Bailey and Dr. Loren Henderson over an orange and blue background.
Announcing the recipients of the 2026 Outstanding Alumni Awards
The Department of Sociology is pleased to present the winners of the 2026 Outstanding Alumni Awards.Each year, the department solicits nominations for graduates of our program who have made a significant impact on their field. Up to three awards (BA, MA, and PhD) are presented each year. This year'...
Dr. Tim Liao
Dr. Tim Liao publishes new co-authored paper on infrastructure prioritization
Dr. Tim Liao, alongside Drs. Abigail L. Beck and Eun Jeong Cha, has released a new paper in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. The paper, "A metric to support higher-resolution equity-based infrastructure prioritization," establishes parameters and a metric for equitable...
Dr. Tim Liao
Read Dr. Tim Liao's new article, out now in the Journal of Happiness Studies
Dr. Tim Liao has released a new co-authored article. "Understanding the Effect of Adult Children’s Education on Older Parents’ Subjective Well-being: Evidence from China" is available to read now through the Journal of Happiness Studies. ...
Dr Asef Bayat looking into the camera
Dr. Asef Bayat offers perspective on Iran in interview in the Boston Review
In an interview with the Boston Review, sociology professor Dr. Asef Bayat offered a nuanced view on the political situation in and around Iran, citing historical context as well as presently unfolding events.Read the interview...

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Socius

The Department of Sociology proudly houses Socius, the American Sociological Association’s only open access online journal that publishes peer-reviewed high-quality research of a wide range of topics as rapidly as possible.

Editorial team:
Editor: Tim F. Liao
Managing Editor: Gretchin Gifford
Editorial Associates: Ting-Syuan Lin, Alex Kaiser, & Quinesha Bentley

Recently published papers can be viewed on the Socius webpage.
Professor Brian Dill
Faculty Spotlight

Professor Brian Dill speaks with U of I's News Bureau on the Nature of Poverty

Professor Brian Dill teaches an introductory course on poverty in the Sociology Department and recently spoke with Craig Chamberlain, the social sciences editor at the University of Illinois News Bureau to answer the question, "What do we really know about poverty?" For the full article, go here. 
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Iranian flags
Publication Spotlight

The Fire That Fueled the Iran Protests

By Asef Bayat Unlike revolts of the past, the recent unrest in Iran came from an emerging, angry middle class facing a future of limited opportunity.  How do we explain the eruption? Among the numerous observations, two broad explanations stand out. The first views the unrest as a prelude to a revolution. The other understands it as an example of how Iranians typically air their public concerns. The reality, however, seems different. Neither simply an extension of routine protests, nor a prologue to revolution, what transpired in Iran recently was an extraordinary popular revolt....
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