The Jefferson Prize honors a tenured or tenure-track faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in research and creative activity.
Jon Shefner
Jon Shefner is the Betty Lynne Hendrickson Professor of Social Science and head of the Department of Sociology. An internationally recognized scholar in social justice, social movements, globalization, political economy, and green economic development, he was the recipient of a 2007 Fulbright research grant. His publication credits include five books—most recently Why Austerity Persists, co-authored with Cory Blad—along with numerous scholarly papers, book chapters, and reviews. He has edited volumes of Current Perspectives in Social Theory, the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, and Mobilization. Shefner organizes frequent academic conferences and other scholarly events, and he served from 2004 to 2010 as the founding director of UT’s Interdisciplinary Global Studies Program. He has been honored by organizations including the American Sociological Association, the Southern Sociological Society, and the Society for the Study of Social Problems.
What does being a Volunteer mean to you?
I’ve worked at UT for 21 years, and both of my children received their degrees from this wonderful university. As a faculty Vol, I’ve had lots of opportunities to conduct meaningful research, to teach excellent students, and to contribute to a community that has the best interest of the state, nation, and globe deeply at heart and hand. This has been immensely meaningful to me.