UD Sociology & Criminal Justice

🌟Student Spotlight: Raheem Wicker is a junior pursuing a double major in Sociology and Africana Studies with a minor in Legal Studies. A dedicated student leader, he serves as Historian for the Black Student Union and Secretary of UD’s NAACP chapter.

Raheem’s passion for sociology and Africana studies comes from a desire to better understand the social issues shaping people’s lives and communities. “Sociology provides frameworks to explain broad social phenomena and issues affecting Black communities that I encounter in my personal life,” he says.

Among his most memorable courses were CUJR: 203: Problems with Corrections, which explored the U.S. prison system and incarceration, and AFRA 205: Contemporary African American Issues: Environmental Justice, which examined environmental racism and health disparities affecting marginalized communities.

One of Raheem’s proudest accomplishments at UD was being inducted into the Ankh Maat Wedjau Honor Society of the National Council for Black Studies, recognizing his academic excellence and commitment to scholarship.

As a McNair Scholar this summer, Raheem will research how African cosmologies influence identity formation and the social experiences of Black q***r communities.

🛬 Dr. Chrysanthi Leon and her research team, Payton Eckell, Sadie Polk, Rabia Hussain, Ajah Edwards, and Lucy Nistler, have returned from the 2026 Law and Society Association Annual Conference in San Francisco, California, where they presented research on the experiences, resilience, and community-building efforts of incarcerated individuals.

Their presentations explored how people living in carceral settings create meaningful relationships, provide mutual support, and find hope and belonging despite conditions of isolation.

🌟 Faculty Highlight: Asia Friedman, professor and associate chair of sociology in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, has been recognized with the 2026 Outstanding Service Award from the College of Arts and Sciences.

Learn more about her recent research, her contributions to the field of sociology, and the course she will be teaching this fall.

Read the full story here: https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/cas/news-events/news/2026/june/faculty-spotlight-asia-friedman-ud-sociology-criminal-justice/

👏Congratulations to our doctoral students, Maria Paula Mendoza, Abass Muhammed, and Wei Wang, on being selected as 2026 Graduate Community Engagement Summer Scholars!

🔹 Maria Paula Mendoza will partner with a local Latine-led nonprofit to examine how community-based organizations and state agencies shape access to safety and justice for Latine survivors of intimate partner violence.

🔹 Abass Muhammed will work with the Center for Structural Equity to study how Black adolescents in Wilmington’s low-income neighborhoods are shaped by concentrated disadvantage, street adultification, and policing.

🔹 Wei Wang will explore the religious experiences of Christians in China through qualitative research, contributing to broader understanding of faith, identity, and social life in a global context.

Read more at the link in our student highlights 🔗

Can’t believe it’s been a week, but these memories are too good not to share. A little graduation recap to celebrate the incredible Class of 2026! We are so proud of everything you’ve accomplished and can’t wait to see what you do next. 🌟

Catch up or get ahead this summer ☀️Summer Session starts June 8 & July 13 — check out our course here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NzWQ7Ix7hEW-wtyK0pwCJremicQ2a2BpDAWghEcHyio/edit?usp=drivesdk

Paid Internship Opportunities for Undergrads 💙🐓

Looking for a flexible way to gain experience this summer? 🔗 Visit our Career & Internship Opportunities list to explore available opportunities and apply: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nLjj6fsmBlxd2FPgoaHecCHXjQLPueNc/edit?usp=drivesdk&ouid=101859357632873169997&rtpof=true&sd=true

✨ Details:
Paid $600/40 hrs (June/July)
Remote/asynchronous

Don’t miss out ⚠️
Follow the instructions in the document to get notifications when new job or internship opportunities are posted.