Student Essay Contest Winners l Annual Scholastic Achievement Awards l Excellence in Humanities Award
Department of History Scholarship Awards
Devin Halford
Harvard David Hanks Scholarship
Kallin Glauser
James H. and Mary Ann Gardner Scholarship
Nathan Darmiento
John Williams James Family Scholarship
Emma Wyatt
Susannah Topham Memorial Scholarship
Natalie Fullmer
Susannah Topham Memorial Scholarship
Jonathan Beeman
Gregory C. Crampton Memorial Scholarship
Amy Shaw
Dept. of History Tuition Waiver
Michael Anderson-McEwan
Dept. of History Tuition Waiver
Lindsay Pruett
Dept. of History Tuition Waiver
WINNER
Project Title: Animal Portrayal in American Meat Media and Advertising in the Late 20th Century
This innovative essay analyzes visual cultural sources to parse the different ways that the animals we keep as pets and the animals we eat were portrayed in 1990s advertising promoted by the meat industry. It argues that modern advertising differentiated between animal species, with the commodification of animals as meat, on the one hand, and pet-keeping, on the other. The selection committee was especially impressed with the way the author situates the essay within the animal studies literature and positions the research on “speciesism” as cutting-edge scholarship.
"Savannah came into the senior research seminar ready to go on day one. She obviously feels passionately about animal rights, which comes out in the energy she devoted to the seminar and in her lively writing style. Her project deftly weaves independent interpretations of animal representations in various advertising media together with an impressive synthesis of secondary literature from critical animal studies and environmental history. She writes well and is particularly skilled at describing images in a way that brings them to life in the reader’s mind. She then quickly, and seamlessly, toggles to sophisticated analyses of the cultural significance of these images. She convincingly argues the meat-industrial complex mobilized gendered imagery toward specific audiences to distract consumers from the violence inherent in the industrial production, circulation, and, ultimately, consumption of meat and other “non-human animal” commodities in the United States."
- Professor Cody Stephens
HONORABLE MENTION
Project Title: Catholic Response to the AIDS Crisis in Utah
Catholic Response to the AIDS Crisis in Utah” utilizes oral histories to explore the response of Catholic nuns associated with Holy Cross Hospital in Salt Lake City to the 1980s AIDS crisis. It argues that, influenced by their pastoral work and the religious reforms of Vatican II, compassionate nuns cared for AIDS patients in spite of official church doctrine. The selection committee noted the impressive depth and range of research, especially the extensive use of oral histories.
"Juan was a delight to work with. He worked very hard and always took advantage of opportunities to come to office hours. He thought very carefully about both his writing and his research and was always looking for ways to improve on both. He also was incredibly proactive in reaching out to other faculty, especially Professor Beth Clement. Juan ended up producing a very impressive paper that examined the relationship between religious reforms in the wake of Vatican II and care for AIDS patients in Utah. It was a great paper that both looked very carefully at a local situation while also considering its larger import. Having finished this paper just before the impact of Covid-19 significantly altered American life, Juan’s paper also serves as a timely meditation on the importance of compassion during medical crisis."
- Professor Ryan Moran
HONORABLE MENTION
Project Title: Anti-Mothers: Baby Farmers, Infanticide, and True Womanhood in Victorian England
This essay concerns infant mortality rates in Victorian era England. It frames this compelling problem within a larger set of questions regarding motherhood, childcare, and class. The selection committee found the topic deeply interesting, the essay well-crafted, and the argument compelling.
"Eliza is always a pleasure to work with. She chooses her research topics carefully, typically pursuing the historical roots of issues that remain of concern today. In addition, she writes beautifully, ventures down every rabbit hole in pursuit of a deeper understanding of her subject matter, and emerges with a coherent argument. This paper fit perfectly into the class topic "Governing Bodies," as it explored the ways in which the British government attempted to discipline working-class women by policing the childcare arrangements of the poorest members of the population in an age in which abortion was illegal, contraception imperfect, and thus infanticide the only solution for many single mothers."
- Professor Nadja Durbach
Each year, the History Department awards the junior and senior students with the highest GPAs. Congratulations to the following students, who all received 4.0 GPAs!
JUNIORS
- Elle Moulton, Nathan Darmiento, Jamie Nakano, Luke Seaver, Jordyn Gasper, Terra Tidwell
SENIORS
- Madison Sudweeks, Cameron Christlieb, Alissa Withrow, Natasha Pagel-Aprill, Callie Avondet, Adam Weinstein, Isabella Williams
This award, presented by the College of Humanities, recognizes one outstanding graduate who has excelled in their commitment to studies in the Humanities. This year's winner is history student, Maria Stokes.
Maria's dedication to the Humanities is apparent in her work and in her interaction with others. The History Department is proud to have students, like Maria, who question the world around them, and apply what they've learned to broaden their perspectives. We're excited to see what she does next - congratulations Maria!
2020 Phi Alpha Theta Inductees
Phi Alpha Theta (ΦΑΘ) is an American honor society for undergraduate and graduate students and professors of history. Its mission is to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication and the exchange of learning and ideas among historians. The society has over 400,000 members, with some 9,000 new members joining each year through 970 chapters nationwide.
This year, the University of Utah Chapter is proud to induct the following nine members:
Christopher Bird
Tiffany Carter
Benedicte Dansie
Sofia Filip
Kallin Glauser
Kasia Rampton
Diana Rodriguez
Ian Stanford
Maria Stokes