Student Edgar Ruiz’s winning poster on pre-K autistic children in Paterson

Four University sociology majors—Edgar Ruiz and Jessie DeJesus of Paterson, Paulaska Ramirez of Passaic, and Mishelle LaRaia of Brick—were among 160 undergraduates exhibiting their research in poster sessions at the annual four-day meeting of the Eastern Sociological Society (ESS) in New York City from February 21 to 24.  Ruiz won one of three awards for best poster, sharing honors with students from Harvard and Drew universities.  Ruiz’s poster, on pre-K autistic children in Paterson, was honored for its research content and visual presentation.

Students Jessie DeJesus (second from left), Mishelle LaRaia (fourth from left) and Paulaska Ramirez (far right) with sociology faculty members (left to right) Sheetal Ranjan, Maboud Ansari, Keumjae Park, James Mahon and Vincent Parrillo at the ESS conference.

“Our students all expressed how thrilled they were to exhibit their research among students from Ivy League and other prestigious universities,” says Vincent Parrillo, professor of sociology and vice president of the ESS.  “Without question, the stimulating intellectual environment was a valuable experience that left a lasting impression on them.”

In addition to Parrillo, faculty members Katherine Chen, Paula Fernandez, Gennifer Furst, Kathleen Korgen, and Keumjae Park were active participants.  The ESS, one of the most prestigious of the regional associations, is housed within the Sociology Department at William Paterson.  Emily Mahon, an adjunct professor of sociology, serves as executive director.