Dr. Brian Powell - Annual Morris Rosenberg Lecture

The Morris Rosenberg Memorial Lectureship was established in the Department of Sociology at the University of Maryland to pay tribute to the scholarly contributions made by Dr. Rosenberg. The lectureship brings eminent sociologists to campus who have made substantial scholarly contributions to the discipline. The inaugural Rosenberg Lecture was given by Charles Tilly in October 1999. Since then, the Lectureship has brought some of the most prominent sociologists to speak to the UMD Sociology community. 

On November 6, 2026, Dr. Brian Powell will deliver this year's lecture, titled "Recounting Family: Additions, Subtractions, and Divisions."

Brian Powell is the James Rudy Professor of Sociology at Indiana University. An author of COUNTED OUT: Same-Sex Relations and Americans' Definitions of Family and WHO SHOULD PAY? Higher Education, Responsibility, and the Public, he served as president of the Sociological Research Association, vice-president of the American Sociological Association (ASA), and chair of the General Social Survey Board. He is the recipient of distinguished career awards from three ASA sections (Social Psychology, Education, and Family), the ASA Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award, and the Spencer Foundation’s inaugural Mentor Award.