​​On April 13, Southwestern University’s Upsilon Alpha Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA), hosted its AKA Spirit of Giving Virtual Awards Ceremony. The awards were presented to faculty members and a deserving student leader for their commitment to supporting students of color on the Southwestern University campus. The awards are given in honor of the philanthropic deeds of Vice President for University Relations and Strategic Initiatives Paul Secord and his family. This year’s recipients were Eugenia Gabrielle Agobe ’22, psychologist and Assistant Director of the Counseling and Health Center Rachel McNally, Professor of Anthropology Melissa Johnson, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies Lamiyah Bahrainwala, Professor of Spanish and Chair of Latin American and Border Studies Carlos De Oro, Professor of Sociology Reggie Byron, Associate Professor of Education Alicia Moore, and Assistant Professor of Sociology Erika Grajeda. For more details, see the event program.

Professor of Sociology Reggie Byron served on a “Teaching in the Liberal Arts” remote panel for the sociology department at the Ohio State University on July 28, 2021. He also presented a paper remotely at the Annual Meetings of the American Sociological Association on August 7, 2021. The paper, titled “‘Get Rid of That Ghetto Element’: Race, Gender, Work Sector, and Employers’ Ideal Worker Pursuits” reflected key findings from chapter 2 of his forthcoming Rose Series in Sociologybook on employment discrimination across the U.S.

Professor of Sociology Reggie Byron has been invited to serve on the board of directors of the Pease Park Conservancy in Austin, where he will work with the Vision Plan Implementation Committee as they strive to make the 84-acre park a more inclusive public space. Byron is hopeful that this service will open up opportunities for student-involved community engagement. Byron has also recently started diversity consulting work with a national finance firm and is hopeful that this will eventually open up the possibility for student internships. Finally, Byron has been invited to serve a three-year term (2021–2024) on the editorial board of the American Sociological Association’s peer-reviewed journal Socius.

Are antibias diversity trainings effective? Associate Professor of Sociology Reggie Byron and others weigh in on the efficacy of these widely used trainings and some of their limitations in this recent Acorns–CNBC Grownews article.

Associate Professor of Sociology Reggie Byron was invited to offer feedback on an equal employment opportunity policy memo written by the leadership at the Center for Employment Equity after being solicited by incoming U.S. President Biden and his campaign. Byron’s name (and Southwestern’s) is listed in the acknowledgments along with those of seven other scholars from research universities who are noted for having a “deep knowledge of the enforcement process and EEOC [Equal Employment Opportunity Commission] data quality.”