After a lengthy absence from Washington University, the sociology department is making its return, starting with the appointment of Steve Fazzari as chair.

Fazzari, an economist by trade, was named chair of the department in late September, after the department’s announced return in April 2014. Fazzari will help lead the search for faculty for the developing department.

For the last quarter-century, the University has lacked a sociology department, and faculty involved with the project say that its return is a welcome development for both the University and field of sociology at large.

Henry “Roddy” Roediger, a professor of psychology, co-chairs the search committee with Fazzari. He noted that the process of selecting the chair of the department involved choosing between two paths. The search committee could have hired a senior sociologist from another university or hired someone from within Washington University.

Roediger noted that hiring outside the University could take years, which the search committee hoped to avoid. He added that an internal chair would come with knowledge of the University and premade relationships with faculty. Roediger described Fazzari as a strong choice because of his background as chair of economics and interest in sociology.

“He’s just a terrific, enthusiastic guy, very easy to get along with. Very empathetic, he just wants to do the best possible job. He’s not doing this to put feathers in his cap; he’s doing this for the good of the University and his own personal interest. I think he’s an ideal first chair,” Roediger said.

Fazzari said although he has co-taught a course called “Economic Realities of the American Dream” that includes sociological aspects, his background is in economics, not sociology. However, he expressed interest in gaining a better understanding of sociology.

“I am an economist. I do my research in economics. My teaching will continue to be economics, although I’m interested in interdisciplinary teaching—I’ve already been teaching this course with sociologist Mark Rank. I’m hoping in the next years to be interacting with my new colleagues…but my training and expertise is in economics…that’s what I am,” Fazzari said. “That being said, I’m learning more and more about sociology, and I’m interested in this. I’ve always been interested in broadening my perspectives in social science.”

When Roediger was hired in 1996, only seven years after the sociology department was initially disbanded, he was confused by the lack of the department, as psychology and sociology departments work closely with each other at other schools of similar merit.

“I know several versions of the story of why it closed, but we’re just moving on. Pretending it never was here would almost be better because everyone wants to relive the past, but we’re just moving on,” he said.

The department, which closed in 1989 as a result of ongoing controversy and diminishing size, is restarting completely anew; the only remaining member of the former department at Washington University is Mark Rank, who now works in the Brown School of Social Work. He will serve as the associate chair of the department beside Fazzari.

Though faculty members are excited about the return of the department, many students seem apathetic.

“It doesn’t directly affect me since I’m not that interested in sociology and neither are my friends, but I think it’s good for those who may want to pursue it that couldn’t before,” sophomore Nicole DeRosa said.

Roediger, however, is not fazed by the apparent lack of excitement.

“Right now, the students don’t know what they’re missing. I took a lot of sociology as an undergraduate, so I know what they’re missing. But they don’t. Even so, Jen Smith, dean of students, says that when she does interest surveys asking undergraduates what would they want that they don’t currently have, one of the most mentioned things is sociology,” he said.

Roediger and Fazzari both noted that the University is in a uniquely attractive place for hiring faculty to help lead the sociology department.

“This is the kind of opportunity that doesn’t come along very often. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to build something in the field,” Roediger said.

“The discipline as a whole seems excited about Washington University restoring its sociology department,” Fazzari said. “Nothing like this is going on in the discipline—it’s really kind of an unusual and unique situation, so there’s a lot of positive energy in sociologists about this, and so everybody I talk to is, ‘Oh yeah, this is great.”

This year, the department is looking to hire two to three professors with backgrounds in inequality and stratification, each of whom will be given tenure upon arrival. It hopes to expand to 10 to 15 faculty members in the next few years so that both a major and a minor can be offered.

The department has hosted three guest lectures so far, which were intended to serve as a “job talk” portion of interviews for faculty candidates. Three more candidates will present their research in the coming month.

Candidates currently under consideration are Jennifer Pierce, University of Minnesota; David Cunningham, Brandeis University; Jake Rosenfeld, University of Washington; David Brady, Berlin Social Science Center; Adia Harvey Wingfield, Georgia State University; and Arthur Sakamoto, Texas A&M University.

Fazzari hopes that the emphasis on inequality and stratification in the hiring process will help promote conversation about socioeconomic diversity at the University.

“I think it adds something important to the curriculum that it’s been missing in many respects for the last quarter-century, so we’re bringing it back and filling that hole,” Fazzari said.