The Department of Sociology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign announces its call for nominations for the 2027 Florian Znaniecki Lecture. The recipient of this distinguished honor will visit our campus in Urbana-Champaign, meet with faculty and students, and give the Florian Znaniecki Lecture. The recipient will receive a $5,000 honorarium and a plaque at the conclusion of their visit.
About the Florian Znaniecki Lecture
Florian Znaniecki was a Polish-American sociologist in the first half of the 20th century, with academic appointments in the U.S. and Poland. He worked at the University of Chicago (1917–1919) where he collaborated with W.I. Thomas. Together they wrote the five-volume classic, The Polish Peasant in Europe and America (1918–1920). Znaniecki returned to Poland and founded the first Polish department of sociology at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (1920–1939). He also worked at Columbia University (1932–1934 and 1939–1940). Znaniecki joined the Department of Sociology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1942 and became Professor Emeritus in 1950 until his passing (1958).
Beyond The Polish Peasant, Znaniecki’s books include An Introduction to Sociology (1922) The Method of Sociology (1934), Social Actions (1936), The Social Role of the Man of Knowledge (1940) and Cultural Sciences (1952). In 1954, he was elected the 44th President of the American Sociological Society—renamed the American Sociological Association in 1959.
The Illinois Department of Sociology’s annual Florian Znaniecki Lecture was launched in 2007, with the twin purposes of remembering Znaniecki’s scholarly legacy and bringing distinguished sociologists to Illinois to interact with Znaniecki’s home department. The annual lecture takes place on the spring semester reading day in early May, and its invited high-profile speakers over the years include four American Sociological Association presidents and other influential scholars. The lecture aims to highlight speakers with significant sociological contributions to the broad areas of research that Znaniecki is known for—culture, theory, methodology, and immigration/migration studies.
The Award Process
In January of each year the Florian Znaniecki selection committee opens a call for nominations with a submission deadline of May 1. Nominations may come from faculty, departments, colleges, or universities, but the selection committee will not accept self-nominations. The nominee must confirm their availability to participate in the May lecture on campus at the University of Illinois Urbana-Campaign.
Eligibility
The lecture aims to highlight speakers with significant sociological contributions to the areas of research for which Znaniecki is known. The competition is open to any scholar engaged in high-level research. Although the award is designed for distinguished senior scholars for work they have done over their careers, in exceptional cases, the selection committee may consider an Associate Professor of exceptional caliber.
Criteria for Evaluation
The distinguished sociologists invited to give the Florian Znaniecki lecture will be innovative and pathbreaking scholars who have significantly reshaped the way we understand the field of sociology. We look for those scholars who have made significant contributions: 1) in their specific field of study; and 2) have visibility across the broader field of sociology.
Submitting the Nomination
Please fill out the online nomination form and attach a letter of nomination (up to 3 single-spaced pages, 12-point, Times New Roman font) and the nominee’s C.V. Deadline for submission is May 1, 2026. Please note that nominees from previous years are eligible for subsequent nominations but must have their updated materials submitted for consideration. Self-nominations are not accepted.
Some of the Previous Recipients
Elijah Anderson
Kathryn Edin
Gary Alan Fine
Michèle Lamont
Cecilia Menjivar
Rhacel Parreñas
Alejandro Portes
Cecilia Ridgeway
Saskia Sassen