Wyndham Robertson Library Undergraduate Research Awards: Winners/Finalists

First-Year/Sophomore Category

Winner

Hailee Brandt, "The Forced Effeminization of Male Chinese Immigrants and the Consequences of This Process," recommended by Professor Chris Florio

Finalist

Ari Cogswell & Sylvia Guillet, "Gold Nanoparticles and Liposomal Nanocarriers for Drug Delivery in Cancers," recommended by Professor Brian Gentry

Alyssa Lawhorn, "Impacts on Native American Literacy Throughout the 1800s," recommended by Professor Chris Florio

Mars McLeod, “A Colony of Our Choice”: Black Baltimoreans and Emigration to Trinidad," recommended by Professor Chris Florio

Junior/Senior Category

Winner

Elizabeth Klein, "Jewish Pioneers in the Service of Christian Whiteness in the 19th-Century American West," recommended by Professor Chris Florio

Finalists

Paramita Vadhahong Painter, "The Racial Inventions of Medieval Travel Writings," recommended by Professor Emma Snowden

Caylin Wigger, "Retelling Tales: Patience Agbabi's Queering of Chaucer's "The Man of Law's Tale," recommended by Professor Michelle DeGroot

First-Year/Sophomore Category 

Winner

Elizabeth Klein, "Rabbits and Hogs and Bears, Oh My! Monstrous Births and Control Over Pregnant Bodies," recommended by Professor Rachel Nunez

Finalist

Zeina Ghanem, "Snake Reciprocation in Terms of Classical Conditioning: Scent and Auditory Stimuli," recommended by Professor Bonnie Bowers

Marie Gruver, "Wearing Your Heart on Your Sleeve: Expressing Hecuba’s Emotions in Artistic Retellings," recommended by Professor Christina Salowey.

Caylin Wigger, "Communication of Values and Morals Through Andrea della Robbia’s Prudence," recommended by Professor Kristen Streahle.

Junior/Senior Category

Winner

Deirdre Price, "Their eyes met at the same instant”: The Queer Gothic and Triumphant Romance of The Price of Salt," recommended by Professor Julie Pfeiffer

Finalists

Elizabeth Klein, "Jewish People and Relationships with Christians in the Antebellum US," recommended by Professor Chris Florio

Alyssa McLeod, "The Worth of the Black Disabled Body: An Excavation of Black Disabled Legal History," recommended by Professor Chris Florio

First-Year/Sophomore Category

Winner

Faith Clarkson, "Interpretresses: Native American Women Translators in Colonial America," recommended by Assistant Professor Chris Florio

Finalist

Meilin Miller, "The Impact of Patriarchy on Stud Lesbians,", recommended by Professor LeeRay Costa.
 

Junior/Senior Category

Winner

Jay Wright, "The Creature in The Looking Glass: Miltonic Marriage and The Female Self in Breaking Dawn," recommended by Professor Julie Pfeiffer
 

Finalists

Kaitlin Mitchell, "The Relationship Between Parasocial Relationships and Chronic Ostracism Among Differing Belongingness Needs," recommended by Professor Bonnie Bowers

Alexander Ernst, "John Andrew Jackson: Enslaved Resistance, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and the Downfall of American Chattel Slavery," recommended by Assistant Professor Chris Florio

2020

First-Year/Sophomore Category

Winner

Jaiya McMillan, "Rejecting Bolivarianism: Political Power in South America," recommended by Associate Professor Rachel Nunez

Finalist

Savannah Scott, "The Practice of Clitoridectomies: Its Influence on the Gikuyu Tribe, Kenyan National Identity, Cultural Nationalism, and British Powers," recommended by Associate Professor Rachel Nunez

Junior/Senior Category

Winner

Hinza Malik, "The Effect of Long-term Stress on Hippocampus and the Involvement in the Pathophysiology of Psychological Disorders, Suicide, and Alcohol Use Disorder," recommended by Associate Professor Richard Michalski

Finalist

Kalyn Chapman, "Sustainable Operations, Industry Performance, and Environmental Sustainability: A Case Study on U.S. Marine Fisheries and Pacific Bluefin Tuna," recommended by Associate Professor Pablo Hernandez

2019

First-Year/Sophomore Category

Winner

Megan Caldwell, Shaping Sexual Identity in Weimar Republic Germany, recommended by Professor Rachel Nunez

Finalists

Katie Grandelli, "A cup of colonialism: A qualitative analysis of Starbucks and Fair Trade Coffee," recommended by Professor Jon Bohland

Grishma Bhattarai, "Women as Agents and Beneficiaries of Autonomy: Case Study of a Brick-kiln Community in Bhaktapur, Nepal," recommended by Professor Elise Schweitzer

Junior/Senior Category

Winner

Dean Symmonds, "The Body Ecstatic: The Masochism of Devotion as Seen in Ritual Possession," recommended by Professor Darla Schumm

Finalists

Sydney Clark, "Social Influence on Pick-Up Truck Purchase: A Case Study," recommended by Professor Pablo Hernandez

Cassidy Trudeau, "Freedom to Fall: Milton’s Christ, Supernatural’s Castiel, and the Secularity of Choice," recommended by Professor Michelle DeGroot

Uma E. Casey, "The Impact of Adequate Funding and Expenditures on Public Education and Standardized Test Scores: A Case Study," recommended by Professor Pablo Hernandez

2018

First-Year/Sophomore Category

Winner

Meaghan Harrington, The Turkish Embassy Letters and the Development of Discourse, recommended by Associate Professor Rachel Nunez

Finalists

Maddie Clevenstine, "The Refashioning of Gender Binaries within the Constructed Identity of Tomboy in Girlhood and Beyond," recommended by Professor LeeRay Costa.

E'vaan Duncan, "Cultural Effects on Mental Health in Dreaming in Cuban," recommended by Assistant Professor Nick Miller

Junior/Senior Category

Winner

Ariel Rudy, "Between Heaven and Earth: Collective Memory Across Time and Place in the Quilts of Harriet Powers," recommended by Professor Kathleen Nolan

Finalists

Kelli Hyre, "Shakespeare's Zombies: The (un)Dead, the Contagious, and the Resistant," recommended by Assistant Professor Nick Miller

Maria Fernanda Junco-Rivera, "Caliente, Crazy, and Conveniently Marketable: Latinx Female Bodies in American Media," recommended by Assistant Professor Nick Miller

Dean Symmonds, "The Western, Violence, and Queer Expression in Red River, Brokeback Mountain, and Thelma & Louise," recommended by Assistant Professor Annie Berke

Rachael Walker, "Ces Enfants Bizarres: Exploring Music as a Space of Resistance for Queer Women in France," recommended by Assistant Professor Tanya Schwarz

2017

First-Year/Sophomore Category

Winner
Gina Wiese, "Coming Together as ONE: How a Los Angeles Magazine Fostered the LGBT Community", recommended by Associate Professor Peter Coogan.

Finalists
Yitazba Largo-Anderson, "Spiritual Essentialism at Standing Rock", recommended by Professor LeeRay Costa.

Dean Symmonds, "An Impossible Standard: The Virgin Mary and the Construction of Southern Womanhood", recommended by Visiting Professor Kelly Derrick.

Junior/Senior Category

Winner
Taylor Walker, "An Examination of Medicinal Ethnobotany and Biomedicine Use in Two Villages on the Phnom Kulen Plateau", recommended by Professor Renee Godard.

Finalists
Monica Doebel, "Discursive Mapping: Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and Thomas Jefferson's Construction of Selfhood and Otherness", recommended by Assistant Professor Nick Miller.

Lan Nguyen, "The Role of Trade and Renewables in the Nexus of Economic Growth and Environmental Degradation: Revisiting the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC)", recommended by Associate Professor Pablo Hernandez.

2016

First-Year/Sophomore Category

Winner
Pria Jackson ('19), Nasser of Egypt and the Egypt of Nasser, recommended by Associate Professor Rachel Nuñez.

Finalists
Kayley DeLong, Feminism in Revolution: Women of the 19th Century Anti-Tsarist Movements, recommended by Associate Professor Rachel Nuñez.

Judith Lamb, Art as Propaganda in Ancient Greece: The Feeding of the Greek Soldier's Ego, recommended by Professor Tina Salowey.

Junior/Senior Category

Winner
Mandy Moore, A Quandary of Errors: The Problem of Innocence in Paradise Lost, recommended by Associate Professor Julie Pfeiffer.

Finalist
Abigail Sease, A Matter of Class: Sin Yun-bok’s Depictions of Kisaeng as Participants of Everyday Life, recommended by Professor Kathleen Nolan.

2015

First-year/Sophomore Category

Winner
Antonia Nagle (’18), Darlings in Love: A History of Romance between Women at Hollins in the Early 20th Century, recommended by Assistant Professor Glenn Bracey.

Finalist
Maura Lydon ('17), The Feasibility of a Terraforming Expedition, recommended by Assistant Professor Ryan Huish.

Junior/Senior Category

Winner
Victoria West (’15), Healing through Hope: A Rhetorical Analysis of Barack Obama's Eulogies, recommended by Associate Professor Jill Weber.

Finalist
​Thao Than Nguyen ('15), The Case for Women in Financial Services, recommended by Associate Professor Pablo Hernandez.

2014

First-Year/Sophomore Category

Winner
Abigail Sease (’16), Anxiety of the Unknown in Art: Xu Bing's A Book from the Sky, recommended by Visiting Assistant Professor Gregory Tentler.

Finalist
Mikaela Murphy ('16), Female Activism: Reevaluating Traditional Buddhist Patriarchy in Chinese Occupied Tibet, recommended by Associate Professor Darla Schumm.

Junior/Senior Category

Winner
Catherine Hensly (’14), Higher Education, Higher Costs: An Income-Contingent Approach, recommended by professor Spencer.

Finalists
Marjory B. O'Leary, Advice or Consent: The U. S. Senate's Role in Confirming Supreme Court Nominees and the Robert H. Bork Confirmation Hearing, recommended by Associate Professor Peter Coogan.

Victoria West ('15), A Style of His Own: A Rhetorical Analysis of President Barack Obama's Inaugural Addresses, recommended by Assistant Professor Jill Weber.

​

2013

First-Year/Sophomore Category

Winner
Catherine Hensly (’14), Proceed to Olympus: The Iconography of the Return of Hephaestus , recommended by Associate Professor Tina Salowey.

Finalist
Leah Craig (’15), Madame Tussaud and the Women of the French Revolution, recommended by Assistant Professor Rachel Nuñez.

Junior/Senior Category

Winner
Kelsey DeForest (’13), Playing Politics with Rape: Republican Apologia in the 2012 Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization, recommended by Associate Professor Jon Bohland.

Finalist
Rebecca Rowe (’14), The Beginning of the End:A Look at the Causes of the Schism in the Methodist Episcopal Church, recommended by Professor Ruth Doan.

2012

First-Year/Sophomore Category

Winner
Cecelia Parks (’14), Millicent Garrett Fawcett: Leader of the Constitutional Women's Suffrage Movement in Great Britain, recommended by Assistant Professor Rachel Nuñez.

Finalist
Abbey Minor (’14), The Complexity of Kadmos, recommended by Associate Professor Tina Salowey.

Junior/Senior Category

Winner
Amanda Marcus (’12), "Gone but not Forgotten": A study of gravestone imagery and iconography in Southwest Virginian cemeteries, recommended by Assistant Professor S.J. Creek.

Finalists
Suzanne Allison (’13), Kalligeneia: Fertility and Feminine Focus on an Athenian Bell Krater, recommended by Associate Professor Tina Salowey.

Meredith Levy (’12), Decision Height: a three-act play with music, recommended by Associate Professor Ernest Zulia.

Ashton Little (’12), The McVitty Book of Hours; Finding a Link to the Illustrations, recommended by Professor Kathleen Nolan.

2011

First-Year/Sophomore Category

Winner
Kelsey DeForest (’13), Imperial Performativity: the life, transgressions, and writings of Isabelle Eberhardt under the lens of queer theory, recommended by Assistant Professor Rachel Nuñez.

Finalists
Amber Rambharose (’13), Why God, Why? A defense of the contradictory God in Paradise, recommended by Associate Professor Julie Pfeiffer.

Junior/Senior Category

Winner
Sarah Mirseyedi (’11), A Unique and Mysterious Shahnama Miniature, recommended by Professor Kathleen Nolan.

Finalists
Melissa Hammond (’12), Absurdity as Resistance in Arab Literature, recommended by Associate Professor Pauline Kaldas.

Raisha Kasaju (’11), Living in the Dark in Nepal, recommended by Associate Professor Pablo Hernandez.

Meredith Levy (’12), “We Endure Around Truths Immemorially Posited”: a dramaturgical research analysis on Brian Friel’s linguistic-historical drama “Translations”, recommended by Assistant Professor Todd Ristau.

2024

• Molly Lynch, Assistant Professor of Math
• Sara Sprague, Digital Pedagogy & Scholarship Librarian
• Brent Stevens, Director, The Writing Center
• James Miller, Discovery & Sciences Librarian
• Sylvia Guillet ('26)
• Sofia Craig ('26)

2023

• Seunghee Han, Assistant Professor of Psychology
• Nathan Lee, Assistant Professor of Film
• Brent Stevens, Director, The Writing Center
• Luke Vilelle, University Librarian
• Kathleen Nolan, Professor Emerita of Art History
• Milo Ramirez Pacheco ('25), Library Student Employee

2022

• Maryke Barber, Information Literacy, Outreach, and Arts Liaison Librarian
• Son Nguyen, Assistant Professor of Chemistry
• Milo Ramirez Pacheco ('25), Library Student Employee
• Savannah Scott ('22), 2020 Award Finalist
• Brent Stevens, Director, The Writing Center
• Jessie Van Eerden, Associate Professor of Creative Writing
• Luke Vilelle, University Librarian

2021

• Jeanne Jegousso, Assistant Professor of French and Francophone Studies
• Bill Krause, Associate Professor of Music
• Catherine Bussani ('24), Student Advisory Board member
• Breanne Sharp ('24), Student Advisory Board member
• Brent Stevens, Director, The Writing Center
• Rebecca Seipp, Assistant University Librarian
• Maryke Barber, Information Literacy, Outreach, and Arts Liaison Librarian

2020

• Mary Jane Carmichael, Assistant Professor of Biology
• Christopher Florio, Assistant Professor of History
• Megan Caldwell ('20), Student Advisory Board member
• Storm Watson ('20), Student Advisory Board member
• Brent Stevens, Director, The Writing Center
• James Miller, Discovery and Sciences Librarian
• Beth Harris, Archives and Special Collections Librarian

2019

• Rebecca Cox, Professor of Education
• Genevieve Hendricks, Professor of Art
• Maddie Clevenstine ('20), Awards Finalist
• Brent Stevens, Director, The Writing Center
• James Miller, Discovery and Sciences Librarian
• Taylor Kenkel, Technical Services & Metadata Librarian

2018

• Bonnie Bowers, Professor of Psychology
• Pauline Kaldas, Professor of English
• Valen Bidleman ('18), Student Advisory Board member
• Jyoti Thapa ('21), Student Advisory Board member
• Brent Stevens, Director, The Writing Center
• Luke Vilelle, University Librarian
• Taylor Kenkel, Technical Services & Metadata Librarian

2017

• Student Advisory Board Member
• Brent Stevens, Director, The Writing Center
• Luke Vilelle, University Librarian
• Maryke Barber, Public Services & Arts Liaison Librarian 

2016

• Sandra Boatman, Professor, Chemistry
• Ángel M. Díaz Miranda, Assistant Professor, Spanish
• Brent Stevens, Director, The Writing Center
• Rebecca Seipp, Outreach & Humanities Liaison Librarian
• Maryke Barber, Public Services & Arts Liaison Librarian

2015

• Lori Joseph, Associate Professor, Communication Studies
• Elise Schweitzer, Assistant Professor, Art
• Brent Stevens, Director, The Writing Center
• James Miller, IT and Sciences Liaison librarian
• Rebecca Seipp, Outreach and Humanities Liaison librarian
• Myriah Legaux, Student  
• Mimi Washburn, Student Advisory Board Member
   

2014

• Tiffany Pempek, Assistant Professor, Psychology
• Rachel Nunez, Associate Professor, History
• Brent Stevens, Writing Center Director
• James Miller, IT and Sciences Liaison librarian
• Susan Vandale, Cataloging and Technical Services librarian
• Taylor Walker, Student Advisory Board Member
   

2013

• Matthew Marshall, Assistant Professor, Film
• Christina Salowey, Associate Professor, Classical Studies
• Brent Stevens, Director, The Writing Center
• Maryke Barber, Outreach and Arts Liaison librarian
• Susan Vandale, Cataloging and Periodicals librarian
• Lauren Earley, Student Advisory Board Member
• Maggie O'Leary, Student Advisory Board Member
   

2012

• Michelle Abate, Former Associate Professor, English
• Kathleen Nolan, Associate Professor, Art History
• Brent Stevens, Director, The Writing Center
• Luke Vilelle, Public Services and Social Sciences Liaison Librarian
• Joesephine Collins, library Circulation Coordinator
• Kelsey DeForest, student (and 2011 winner)
   

2011

• Peter Coogan, Associate Professor, History
• Ryan Huish, Assistant Professor, Biology 
• Brent Stevens, Director, The Writing Center
• Maryke Barber, Outreach and Arts Liaison Librarian
• Luke Vilelle, Public Services and Social Sciences Liaison Librarian
• Alexis Davis, Student Advisory Board member
• Thu Anh (Judith) Le, Student Advisory Board member