The School of Social Sciences hosts an annual Order of Merit ceremony to honor its most outstanding students.  Since 1983, the Order of Merit recognition has been given to the top 2% of social sciences undergraduate students who best exemplify commitment to academic distinction, leadership, and service to the School, campus, and community. Additionally, undergraduate and graduate programs recognize select student award winners at the annual ceremony.

2011 Order of Merit Recipients

• Michael Arias
• Moosa Azadian
• Bianca Barrios
• Curtis Brown
• Christopher Celaya
• David Curry
• Ashley Delgado
• Esperanza Garcia
• Vilma Garcia
• Keely Hanson
• Nancy Herrera
• Joanna Kang
• Jessica Lee
• Tammy Lin
• Elizabeth McDowell
• Brian Monteiro
• Andrea Moreno
• Ahmad Qazi
• Oscar Rojas Perez
• Jiraporn Rungvivatjarus
• Brandon Shiaw
• Caroline Sisk
• Holly Smith
• Digo Takahashi
• Stephanie Takamatsu
• Christine Tomlinson
• Kevin Tracy
• Katherine Ellyn Williams
• Boris Wong
• Jaclyn Wong

2011 Order of Merit Ceremonial Recognition

Graduate Students

• Caitlin Elizabeth Fouratt, Outstanding Graduate Student Service
• Shunan Zhang, Outstanding Graduate Student Scholarship
• Wilfred T. Wan, Kathy Alberti Award
• Daisy Verduzco Reyes, 2010-2011 Lauds & Laurels Outstanding Graduate Student
• Katarzyna De La Parra, Demographic & Social Analysis
• Zack Almquist, A. Kimball Romney Award for Outstanding Graduate Research Paper Outstanding MA Student, “Predicting Regional Self-identification from Spatial Network Models”

Undergraduate Students

• Annie Ditta, Alice B. Macy Outstanding Undergraduate Paper Award, “The Wisdom of the ‘Crowd Within’ on Ordering Problems”
• Dalar Abolian, Elena B. & William R. Schonfeld Scholarship
• Zalaikha Lodin, Outstanding Transfer Student Award
• Jane Chung, David & Kristin Rosten International & Community Service Scholarship
• Ahmad Qazi, School of Social Sciences Outstanding Honors Thesis Award,
• ”Evaluating the Legality of Drone Attacks: The Jus ad Bellum Paradigms and the Jus in Bello Requirements”
• Steve Alcantar, School of Social Sciences Outstanding Honors Thesis Award Honorable Mention,  “The Making of Multiracials on the U.S. Census”
• Digo Takahashi, School of Social Sciences Alumni Award for Excellence
• Jaclyn Wong, School of Social Sciences Alumni Award for Excellence and Charles A. Lave Paper for Creative Modeling in the Social Sciences, “The Pulchritude Premium: Returns to Physical Attractiveness in the Labor Market”