University of Missouri

Sept. 8, 2023

Christopher Conner, an assistant professor of sociology in the College of Arts and Science, was recently selected for the Kathy Charmaz Early-In Career Award from the Study of Symbolic Interaction (SSSI).

SSSI is an international professional organization of scholars interested in the study of a range of social issues with an emphasis on identity, everyday practice and language.

Conner has devoted his career to exploring how culture impacts society. The award acknowledges Conner's significant research contributions to the field of symbolic interaction and potential.

Kathy Charmaz, professor emerita of sociology at Sonoma State University, was the developer of Constructivist Grounded Theory, the major research method in qualitative research. What does winning the Kathy Charmaz Early-In Career Award mean to you?

This award is the epitome of what people say when they cry ‘I’ve come full circle.’ I had the pleasure of knowing Kathy Charmaz. She was the first academic I met at a conference. She asked me to sit next to her at the award banquet, at the time I was an awkward looking undergraduate. Later in my career she would come up to me and my dissertation advisor and compliment us on a paper we presented nearly two decades later. Kathy was a widely recognized scholar within and outside the discipline. This award recognizes my contributions to the field, but also in the spirit of Dr. Charmaz acknowledges those who I have helped along the way — including many graduate students here at the University of Missouri.

What impact has this award had on your career?

I am now a tenure track assistant professor of sociology at Mizzou, thanks in some degree to this award. I look forward to continuing my work as a researcher and mentor to our undergraduate students. My work will continue to provide insight into the science of sociology and provide recognition for the work of not only me, but also my department, A&S and Mizzou.