2012 Library Research Prize Winners

The Library is pleased to announce our two winners of the 2nd Annual Library Research Prize competition, one in the Undergraduate category and one in the Graduate category.

Congratulations to Stephanie A. Pisko, a senior double major in History and Women’s Studies, whose submission, “Murder and Turmoil: Honor and Crimes of Passion in Two Nineteenth-Century Murder Trials,” was selected as this year’s winner of the prize in the Undergraduate category. Stephanie’s supporting faculty member was Dr. Susan L. Poulson in the History Department.

Stephanie wrote in her essay describing her research process:

Throughout the entire process, the library and the librarians helped me with all my questions, and there were many. […] As an undergraduate I had never taken on extensive research like this before and their guidance was invaluable. From learning to use the microfilm machine to locating articles in a bound journal, the library was there every step of the way. The research skills I gained are as sophisticated and as numerous as those of a graduate student. I feel confident of how to research, how to evaluate scholarly sources, and how to integrate the sources. This research project would not have been of the same quality without the librarians’ extensive knowledge and constant assistance.

Congratulations as well to Colleen Achatz, a student in our Graduate Program in Occupational Therapy, whose submission, Part I: “Evolution of Sensory Integration with Children” and Part II: “Jean Ayres’ Impact on the Past, Present, and Future of Sensory Integration,” was selected as this year’s  winner of the prize in the Graduate category. Colleen’s supporting faculty member was Dr. Rita Fleming-Castaldy in the Occupational Therapy Department.

Colleen wrote in her essay describing her research process:

The resource in the library that most surprised me was the microfilm; I had no idea about it until I learned about it for this assignment. I did not know what the microfilm section of the library even was and I wound up using microfilm for a key portion of my research. The journals in the library were also very helpful. In the past I had only used the databases on the library website to retrieve articles from the American Journal of Occupational Therapy and other journals but it only goes so many years back. I was surprised to see how many years’ worth of journals were physically in the library. I never realized how extensive the resources, tools, and services the library had to offer until this assignment. […] Through this assignment and the research process with the use of Weinberg Library’s resources and services, I learned a significant amount of knowledge in the methods and process of research as well as the importance of research in the profession of occupational therapy. This experience also helped me with my ability to more competently participate in my faculty mentored research course.

The Weinberg Memorial Library inaugurated the prize to recognize excellence in research projects that show evidence of significant knowledge in the methods of research and the information gathering process, and use of library resources, tools, and services. The prize is in the amount of $500 for the winning submission in each category: Undergraduate and Graduate.

In addition to our winners, two students were selected to receive Honorable Mentions in the Undergraduate category: Allison Carey for her submission, “Dynamics of Recent Trade Relationships with China,” and Ryan P. Pipan for his submission, “Much Ado about the Archer-Shee’s: Shakespearean Signatures in Terence Rattigan’s The Winslow Boy.”

Winners will be honored at a reception and awards ceremony on Thursday, May 10, 2012 in the Library’s 5th floor Heritage Room.