Sociology Professor Receives National Recognition

Sociology Professor Receives National Recognition

E. (Eddy) Helen Berry, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology for Utah State, is the winner of the 2003 Rural Sociological Society's (RSS) Award for Excellence in Instruction. The award recognizes outstanding rural-oriented teaching by RSS members.

"Berry’s primary instructional assignments involve undergraduate and graduate courses in social statistics and demography," said Richard Krannich, Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology department head. "In all of these courses she draws from her research interests in the dynamics of rural population change to expose students to content and principles related to the field of rural sociology." 

Berry, a professor at Utah State since 1984, teaches students from numerous disciplines, and many of them, such as former student Jeffrey Wulfhorst, said her patience and dedication helped them master difficult statistical concepts and ideas, both in and out of the classroom.

"Dr. Berry has multiple pedagogical styles that she can play like cards in order to capture different learning styles, preferences and concerns among relatively diverse groups of students," Wulfhorst said.

Berry said she is honored to receive the award.

"At Utah State, we do it all, and we do it all well," Berry said. "In other words, students get a huge bang-for-their-buck here."