"The best part of studying sociology at Cornell was the way the professors took an interest in me as a person and a student. They helped me to refine and explore subjects from their classes that were interesting to me in a deeper sense."

-- Sarah Altmann '07

Sarah Altmann

Sarah Altmann '07 presented her award-winning research paper at the joint annual meeting of the Midwest Sociological Society and the North Central Sociological Association in Chicago over Spring Break 2007. Her paper, "The Impact of Social Isolation and Deviant Social Association on Criminal Deviance," earned first-place in the conference's undergraduate competition.  

"I find it fascinating how society is so quick to blame individuals who commit crime when society itself can be at least partially responsible for this occurrence," says Altmann, whose paper examined the correlation between the criminal behavior of 18-24 year olds and their social setting.

"I particularly find it interesting in the area of juveniles and young adults because I’ve worked with children who have special needs," she says. "I think that sociological research in this area can help us to work with this population and other at-risk populations to decrease the occurrence of delinquency among younger generations, which will in turn potentially help decrease adult deviance."

Altmann wrote the paper as a junior in her Research Design and Data Analysis class. She devoted additional time during her senior year to expand the research and enhance her presentation. Her paper was also judged the best criminal justice paper by the Iowa Sociological Association in 2007, the second year in a row she earned the award.

After graduating from Cornell, Altmann worked with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps for a year at a non-profit daycare center that primarily serves low-income families in Wilmington, DE. 

"I have been able to make the most out of living in a low-income neighborhood and working with these families because I know the underlying social structures and institutions that cause the problems I am seeing. It helps me to have a basis for all of the experiences I am gaining. I gained that basis through my sociology classes at Cornell."

Altmann will pursue a master’s degree in special education from Vanderbilt University beginning in the fall of 2008.

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