A successor for Chester Britt, former professor and chair of the Department of Sociology who experienced a severe reaction to a wasp sting while jogging on Aug. 16, 2016, has been chosen.

The Department of Sociology is unusual in being jointly administered by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Leana Bouffard, the new chair of the Department of Sociology, was previously a professor of criminology and criminal justice at Sam Houston State University where she directed the Crime Victims’ Institute, which evaluates the effectiveness of criminal justice policies to prevent the victimization of society.

Interim chair Paul Lasley, professor of sociology, is returning to a faculty position and Bouffard will begin July 17, according to a release from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. 

“There are so many ways that sociology contributes to and enriches our understanding of the world around us,” Bouffard said in the relase. “The faculty and students in the department conduct important research across a variety of areas, including rural sociology, agriculture and society and criminology and criminal justice, that impact the lives of Iowans and people throughout the country and the world.”

Britt, the former chair, was passionate about his work, and was a distinguished scholar in his field of study. He wrote various published journal articles regarding his research in the sociology and criminology fields and spent time as the editor of “Justice Quarterly,” according to the department’s website. 

He had only started his second year in the position at the time of his death.

“Chet took over as department chair when I stepped down from the position,” said Paul Lasley at the time, who became the interim following Britt’s death. “On numerous occasions, Chet told me how much he loved being at Iowa State and how much he enjoyed being chair of the department that has such a talented faculty and staff.”

The sociology department, along with Britt’s family, created a memorial fund called the Chet Britt Memorial Fund to create scholarships in criminology to honor Britt’s career and passion for helping underrepresented groups gain access to higher education, Lasley said.