Senior sociology major Jessica Herbst is receiving the 2010 Odum Award for best undergraduate research paper from the Southern Sociological Society. She will receive the award at the society's annual meeting in Atlanta, Ga., April 21-24.

Herbst is receiving the award for her paper titled “Sometimes You Have to Sell Your Soul a Little Bit: Maintaining Meaning and Identity in the Midst of Non-Profit Politics.”  The paper was written for her capstone class under the direction of Maria Lowe, professor of sociology. It examines how the decision to change its mission statement impacted an organization in the anti-domestic violence and sexual assault movement.

This is the fourth time in five years that a sociology student from Southwestern has received the Odum Award. Ali Hendley received it in 2006, Meagan Elliott received it in 2007 and Nicole Powell received it in 2009.