Barbara J. Stephens Endowed Award in Sociology

The Barbara J. Stephens Endowed Award in Sociology was established in 2003 as The Barbara J. Stephens Dissertation Award and revised in March 2022 to accommodate programming changes in the Department of Sociology. The award assists University of Akron sociology students pursuing interests and careers in health and social policy research. The award was established with gifts from friends and family of Mrs. Stephens who wished to ensure that her legacy of caring would live on.

Barbara J. (Kurtis) Stephens was born in Millbury, Ohio, on March 3, 1948, and lived in that community until she graduated from high school. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, and a Master of Arts in Nursing from New York University. Mrs. Stephens served in numerous nursing roles throughout her career, including as a Clinical Nurse Specialist for both Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital and Health Hill Hospital in Cleveland. She was nationally known for developing and teaching a technique to calm children during medically invasive procedures and gave numerous lectures and produced publications on the topic. Prior to her death from breast cancer on Nov. 1, 2002, she was Director of Pediatric Services at Mercy Hospital in Canton, Ohio.

Mrs. Stephens was married for more than 32 years to Dr. Richard C. Stephens, Director of the former Institute for Health and Social Policy at The University of Akron. She is the mother of a daughter, Keturah, and a son, Benjamin.

The Barbara J. Stephens Endowed Award in Sociology assists full- or part-time students earning a major, a second major, or minor in sociology at The University of Akron. To be eligible for consideration, students must:
• Be in good academic standing with the University;
• Be conducting health-related research, be involved with an academic extra-curricular activity under the supervision of a Sociology faculty member, or be enrolled in Sociology’s Health and Society track; and
• Submit a brief narrative (250-500 words) indicating the amount requested and how the award will impact them and/or their academic experience. Submission deadlines are by March 15 and October 15 annually.

This award may be used for tuition and fees, books, on-campus room and board, and other expenses associated with degree completion, such as research projects, internships, professional skills development, and academic-related travel. The award may be renewed for students who reapply and continue to meet all criteria. Awards used for expenses other than qualified educational expenses will be reportable and/or taxable to the recipient. The Undergraduate Committee in the Department of Sociology will review narratives, identify eligible candidates, and make the final selection.