SSD alumni news
Alumni: Submit your updates to Nina B. Herbst in SSD at nherbst@uchicago.edu or 773.834.9067.

Burt garners book award

Ronald Burt, PhD'77 (Sociology), received the 2011 George R. Terry Book Award from the Academy of Management for his book Neighbor Networks: Competitive Advantage Local and Personal (Oxford University Press, 2010). Burt is the Hobart W. Williams Professor of Sociology and Strategy at Chicago Booth.

Romer in the news

In an August National Journal article, Paul Romer, SB'77, PhD'83 (Economics), was listed as one of five economists who could potentially replace Austan Goolsbee as chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. Romer is a professor of economics at the New York University Stern School of Business. Goolsbee returned to the Chicago Booth faculty this fall. On August 29, President Obama nominated Alan Krueger as Goolsbee's replacement.

What's cookin' with Caitlin?

Last year, Caitlin Zaino, AM'05 (MAPSS), founded a blog called The Urban Grocer, which showcases "innovative, mouth-watering food" in cities throughout the world. This past April, The Urban Grocer made its TV premiere on the Cooking Channel, with Zaino as host and producer. Prior to founding The Urban Grocer, Zaino worked as a line chef at a top Boston restaurant, a freelance food writer, and the host of a food show in Switzerland.

Honomichl honored

In October, Jack J. Honomichl, AM'56, received a lifetime achievement award from the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO)—only the second time in the 36 years of the award that it has gone to an industry professional. Honomichl is known for his annual analysis of the marketing, advertising, and public opinion research industries published in the American Marketing Association's journal, Marketing News. In 1990 Honomichl founded an international newsletter, Inside Research, which Barron's described as "the bible of the market research industry." He is the author of four books and numerous articles in the trade and academic press on the subject of data collection and its utilization in the decision-making process.

Woodard's rival regions

In September, Colin Woodard, AM'96 (International Relations), published American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America (Viking Adult). Woodard argues that North America was settled by people with distinct religious, political, and ethnographic characteristics, creating regional cultures that have been at odds with one another ever since. He describes the rivalries and alliances among North America's eleven cultural regions, which transcend state and international boundaries, illuminating how values vary sharply from one region to another. Woodard's book was excerpted in Steven Levingston's Washington Post column "Political Bookworm."