Conferences 2008 Sociologists of Minnesota Annual Conference: "Practice to Protest: Local to Global" October 2-3, 2008 The Kahler Grand Hotel Rochester, Minnesota For the last few years, our conferences have probed different aspects of public sociology. This year we are building on that conversation. The conference theme this year is "Practice to Protest: Local to Global." Panels, roundtables, paper sessions and other activities are now being organized. Do we engage with genocide in Darfur, with the factory closing in our town, with global warming, or with planned protests at the upcoming 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis and St. Paul? The theme of this conference is meant to appeal to a wide range of individuals including applied sociologists, faculty, students and others who use sociology to understand the world around them. How does one go about deciding how to participate in the world's issues? How do we go about making our participation meaningful and effective? Come and find out. Call for Organizers Have an idea? All areas of sociological inquiry are welcome. Sessions relating to the conference theme and topics relating to the interests of sociology students are particularly encouraged. If you have an idea or proposal for the conference please contact 2008 Conference chair and President-elect Suzanne Gaines. Call for Nominations Sociologists of Minnesota Distinguished Service Award On October 2, 1981 the Sociologists of Minnesota resolved that: Beginning in 1982 and thereafter, the Board of Directors of the SOM is authorized to extend special recognition on behalf of the membership, in an appropriate manner during each annual meeting, to one or more sociologists who have contributed significantly to the discipline as an educator, researcher, published scholar, or applied practitioner of Sociology during their careers in Minnesota. The process whereby nominees are secured, the criteria and mechanism for selecting recipients from those suggested, and the nature and occasion of each recognition may be decided by the Board. Criteria It will be offered for contributions in one or more of the following areas: A. For pursuing an extended line of inquiry over time involving faculty and students in Minnesota. B. For contributions to a program of sociology instruction in Minnesota. C. For facilitating programs relevant to the application of sociology in Minnesota. Contact SOM President Scott Foster to nominate someone sfoster@sctc.edu.