FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- June 14, 2017 Contact: Dr. Mark D. Johns, Executive Director Carl Couch Center for Social and Internet Research c/o Department of Communication Studies Luther College, Decorah, Iowa USA 52101 email: mjohns@luther.edu Julien is Winner of Couch Award DECORAH, Iowa -- Chris Julien, a Ph.D. student in Sociology at The Pennsylvania State University, is the winner of the 2017 Carl J. Couch Internet Research Award. The Couch Award is presented annually by the Carl Couch Center for Social and Internet Research (www.cccsir.com) and recognizes excellent student-authored papers. Julien's paper, "The Information-Technological Media of Imgur, Reddit and Twitter," uses Couch’s foundational work on information technologies to evaluate some sociological research since the time of his writing, and to argue that each unique website studied constitutes a distinct information-technological medium. Julien holds a BA in Religious Studies from Grove City College in Pennsylvania, and recently completed his MA in Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The Couch Award was established by the Couch Center in 2002 as the centerpiece of an extensive awards program. Competition is open to graduate or undergraduate students of all disciplines, and winners are selected by a committee of university professors. The winner receives a cash award as well as the opportunity to present the paper at the international conference of the Association of Internet Researchers in October. The Carl Couch Center for Social and Internet Research is a non-profit organization established to promote the scholarship of the late Carl J. Couch and his academic associates. The Center provides networking opportunities for students and scholars who conduct social and Internet research inspired by Couch's work. - 30 -