Sociology professor named Harriot College Distinguished Professor

East Carolina University’s Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences named sociology professor Dr. Bob Edwards as the college’s 21st distinguished professor. The announcement was made at the 58th annual college convocation on Aug. 20.

“I am honored to receive the distinguished professorship,” Edwards said. “I was surprised by the news and deeply appreciate that my work at ECU, in the Department of Sociology and the college is being recognized in such a public and meaningful way.”

Dr. Bob Edwards (Contributed photo)

The appointment is the highest honor within the college and is conferred upon a professor whose career exemplifies a commitment to and a love for knowledge and academic life as demonstrated by outstanding teaching and advising, research and creative productivity, and professional service.

“We are lucky to have multiple folks on our faculty that share many of these qualities, and the selection process was indeed difficult,” said Dr. Allison S. Danell, dean of Harriot College. “Bob has an impressive, high-quality body of work that has led to meaningful change in our world. He gives his time and talents so generously, and his commitment to the field and the university have positively impacted countless colleagues and students.”

Dr. Kristen Myers, chair of sociology, said: “I am thrilled. This is exciting for me as his colleague and chair, and I know the department is excited as well. Bob’s initiatives and out-of-the-box vision are designed to help students, to grow sociology’s footprint on campus and to expand ECU’s impact on the field of sociology. For this reason and others, he is an excellent colleague, advocate and ally. Bob Edwards embodies the college’s distinguished professorship.”

While at ECU, Edwards has displayed the qualities and characteristics required of a distinguished professor.

He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in sociology, sociology of religion, social statistics, American social movements, environmental sociology, society and coastal policy, coastal resource management, applied social research, and more. He has served as chair or as a member on seven doctoral dissertation committees. In addition, he has served as chair or as a member on more than 40 master’s degree thesis committees.

Edwards said he has always enjoyed working with students, mentoring them and discussing the issues of the day.

“For 26 years, helping students has been a consistent highlight of my work — from seeing the flash of understanding and satisfaction in their faces as a difficult concept clicks into place, to listening to a ‘C’ student talk about landing a good job or an ‘A’ student wondering what to expect after being admitted to a doctoral program,” he said.

A sociology graduate alumnus wrote, “Dr. Edwards not only gives students the tools they need to complete research, but he makes it clear that he and the student are colleagues and equals.”

Edwards’ research interests include social movements, social organizations and change; civil society and social capital; issue advocacy, protests and policing of protests; and environmental sociology and inequality. He has been an invited speaker or lecturer at more than 30 conferences and has served as a consultant on various organization and government reports.

In addition, he has authored one book and authored or co-authored more than eight dozen journal articles, reports, book chapters and encyclopedia entries in his areas of research. He has secured more than $400,000 in awards and funding as the principal investigator or co-investigator on more than 30 research projects.

“Bob is a nationally and internationally known and widely respected scholar who has made serious and enduring contributions across multiple areas of social inquiry,” said one of Edwards’ colleagues. “He is an intelligent, talented, highly motivated and hardworking scholar committed to improving the lives of others.”

Edwards said he appreciates the broad perspectives he has experienced with colleagues through collaborative research, informal interaction and committee work.

“My research interests and approaches have evolved and changed over the years, and both my department and the college afforded me the opportunity to embrace and pursue those changes. I value that flexibility because it helped me stay fresh, engaged and challenged by the work,” Edwards said.

Since joining ECU in 1995, Edwards has served on more than two dozen departmental committees, as director of undergraduate studies, acting department chair and department chair of sociology. He has served on nearly a dozen Harriot College committees or councils and two dozen university committees and councils.

Edwards is a member of the American Sociological Association, Southern Sociological Society and Society for the Study of Social Problems. He has served on editorial boards and in an elected position or as a member of many professional organizations and associations.

“Professor Edwards has had an immense impact on the professionalization and scholarly success of many young academics in the field of sociology,” a supporter of Edwards wrote. “His remarkable contributions in research and mentorship are worthy of this honor.”