One Week Left! – Application Deadline for Library Research Prize is Monday, May 11, 2020

One week left to apply for the Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize! Project submissions for Intersession and Spring 2020 are due Monday, May 11, 2020 by 4:00 pm.

The Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize recognizes 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.

Three prizes of $500.00 each will be awarded to the winning individual student and/or group in the following categories: Undergraduate Foundational (100-level courses), Undergraduate Upper-level (200- to 400-level courses), and Graduate. If won by a group, the award will be split equally among the group members. All you need to do is write a 500- to 700-word essay describing your research process and how you used the library in completing the project. Click here for some tips on how to craft the best 500- to 700-word essay you can about your research. 

Note: The deadline for Intersession and Spring 2020 project submissions has been extended to Monday, May 11, 2020 at 4:00 pm due to the impact of COVID-19 on the Spring 2020 semester. In addition, there will be no in-person reception and awards ceremony for the 2019-2020 Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize, but we look forward to honoring our winners in other ways.

A statement of faculty support from the instructor who assigned the research project is also required for each submission.

For additional information on how to apply, what to include in a completed application, and to access the application, visit the Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize page: www.scranton.edu/libraryresearchprize

Questions can be directed to Donna Witek, Information Literacy Coordinator, at donna.witek@scranton.edu.

Deadline Extended – Apply Now for the Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize!

Are you working on a research project this semester? Did you use the library’s resources, services, collections, or spaces in order to complete your research? Then the Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize is for you!

The Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize recognizes 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.

Three prizes of $500.00 each will be awarded to the winning individual student and/or group in the following categories: Undergraduate Foundational (100-level courses), Undergraduate Upper-level (200- to 400-level courses), and Graduate. If won by a group, the award will be split equally among the group members. All you need to do is write a 500- to 700-word essay describing your research process and how you used the library in completing the project. Click here for some tips on how to craft the best 500- to 700-word essay you can about your research. 

Note: The deadline for Intersession and Spring 2020 project submissions has been extended to Monday, May 11, 2020 at 4:00 pm due to the impact of COVID-19 on the Spring 2020 semester. In addition, there will be no in-person reception and awards ceremony for the 2019-2020 Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize, but we look forward to honoring our winners in other ways.

A statement of faculty support from the instructor who assigned the research project is also required for each submission.

For additional information on how to apply, what to include in a completed application, and to access the application, visit the Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize page: www.scranton.edu/libraryresearchprize

Questions can be directed to Donna Witek, Information Literacy Coordinator, at donna.witek@scranton.edu.

Winners of the 2019 Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize Announced

Elizabeth McManus is the winner of the 2019 Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize in the Undergraduate Upper-level category, which is awarded to the winning project completed in a 200- to 400-level course.

Donna Witek, Information Literacy Coordinator; Joan Wasilewski, Associate Professor of Chemistry; Elizabeth McManus, Research Prize Winner; Harry Dammer, Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; and Charles Kratz, Dean of the Library

Liz is a senior Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology (BCMB) major with a minor in Computer Science from Brookfield, Connecticut, who submitted her project “Preventative and Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines,” completed in her capstone course BCMB 490, taught by Dr. Joan Wasilewski. For her research, Liz used the library’s curation of disciplinary resources to research and prepare a project culminating in a 35-minute presentation on the topic of vaccines to prevent and therapeutically treat cancer. At first reporting she was “overwhelmed” by the amount of information out there on this topic, Elizabeth realized she needed to adapt her research strategy by using the database MEDLINE/PubMed to seek out review articles; her goal in doing this was to develop “a more substantial understanding of the topic” by filling in “the gaps in [her] knowledge.” In her description of research, Liz eloquently summarizes the research strategies she learned through this project when she says, “By first establishing a wide breadth of knowledge on the topic, I prepared myself for the depth of research that followed.”

The Weinberg Memorial Library inaugurated the prize in 2011 to recognize excellence in research projects that show evidence of significant knowledge of the methods of research and the information gathering process, and use of library resources, tools, and services. In 2017, the prize was named for Professor Emerita Bonnie W. Oldham, who founded the prize at the University in 2011. Winning projects in each of three categories receive a $500 prize.

Honorable Mention awards in the Undergraduate Upper-level category included Anna Maria Giblin, a junior History major with a Philosophy minor and a Legal Studies concentration, as well as group partners Catherine Moloney, Gabriela Lins, and Kailtin Kenyon, senior Occupational Therapy majors.

Kerry Ann Randall and Megan Schane are the winners of the 2019 Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize in the Graduate category.

Donna Witek, Information Literacy Coordinator; Rita Fleming-Castaldy, Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy; Kerry Ann Randall, Research Prize Winner; Megan Schane, Research Prize Winner; Debra Pellegrino, Dean of the Panuska College of Professional Studies; and Charles Kratz, Dean of the Library

Kerry Ann and Megan are graduate occupational therapy students from Farmington, Connecticut and Cresco, Pennsylvania, respectively, who submitted to the competition their project “Adaptive Equipment Through the Ages: A Historical Review of Occupational Therapy,” completed in the course OT 501: Leadership in Occupational Therapy, taught by Dr. Rita Fleming-Castaldy. For this project, Kerry Ann and Megan made heavy use of library resources which they accessed through the online library research guide for this course. Resources used include the library’s databases including ProQuest Health and Medical Complete, CINAHL, and PubMed; books including those that were held on print reserve and at the Research Services desk, books from the circulating collection, and ebooks; journals both in print and online; and periodical literature only available in microfilm. In their description of research, Kerry Ann and Megan conclude, “We could not have completed our paper without the library, the online and physical data, and the space to use its computers, scanners, printers, and quiet spaces. The library is an irreplaceable resource on campus with wonderful staff which has shaped us into better students and researchers as we prepare for our professional careers.”

Honorable Mention awards in the Graduate category included Jenna Gulics and Lisa Crivelli, both graduate students in the Occupational Therapy program, and Lindsey Hayde, a graduate student in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program.

Isaiah Livelsberger is the winner of the 2019 Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize in the Undergraduate Foundational category, which is awarded to the winning project completed in a 100-level course.

Donna Witek, Information Literacy Coordinator; Isaiah Livelsberger, Research Prize Winner; Harry Dammer, Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; and Charles Kratz, Dean of the Library

Isaiah is a first-year International Studies and Philosophy major from New Oxford, Pennsylvania, who submitted to the competition his paper “Empty Aid,” completed in Prof. Dawn D’Aries Zera’s WRTG 107: Composition course. To complete his research, Isaiah relied on initial instruction in brainstorming topical keywords, database searching, and information evaluation provided by both his professor and a faculty librarian who visited his class, as well as support at the Research Services desk. What sets Isaiah’s research apart, however, is the way his initial position on his topic changed through the research process, developing a more critical stance on the topic of the effects of humanitarian aid on recipient countries as a result of the new information he found. Through researching and writing this paper, Isaiah “learned that research is a dynamic, intense process” and “discovered the seemingly unlimited information [he] can use as a university student through the library to develop educated opinions.”

An Honorable Mention award in the Undergraduate Foundational category was given to Justine Duva, a first-year Biology Major.

Prize winners were honored at a reception on Thursday, May 9, 2019 in the Heritage Room of the Weinberg Memorial Library.

Information about the Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize can be found on the website: http://www.scranton.edu/libraryresearchprize

2019 Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize Winners Kerry Ann Randall, Megan Schane, Elizabeth McManus, and Isaiah Livelsberger

Congratulations to all of our honorees!

Please consider giving to the Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize Endowment Fund, ensuring that the prize will be awarded in perpetuity. Make your gift directly to the fund here.

Fundraiser for the Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize Endowment

Cask for a Cause: Benefiting the Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize Endowment, Weinberg Memorial Library

Join us on November 30, 2018 for Cooper’s Cask for a Cause benefiting the Weinberg Memorial Library’s Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize Endowment. A special firkin (small cask of beer) will be tapped and proceeds from each pint sold will be donated to the research prize endowment!

Admission is free! Must be 21 to enjoy the firkin.

  • Where: Cooper’s Seafood, 701 N. Washington Ave, Scranton, PA
  • When: Friday, November 30, 2018 at 5:00-8:00 pm
  • What: $1 from each pint from the firkin will be donated to the Endowment.

What is a firkin ale? A firkin is a small keg, holds about 10 gallons or so of cask-conditioned, 50°F beer. Cooper’s sources their firkins from breweries in their backyard to breweries across the country! The cask is always a special, one-of-a kind beer connoisseur’s treat. It is available only until it runs dry, which could be just hours (or less) after it’s tapped.

Can’t make it, or not into beer? Give directly to the Endowment Fund at this link and ensure the Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize will be awarded in perpetuity!

 

Winners of the 2018 Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize Announced

Maura C. Burns is the winner of the 2018 Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize in the Undergraduate Upper-level category, which is awarded to the winning project completed in a 200- to 400-level course.

David Dzurec, Associate Professor of History; Brian Conniff, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Maura C. Burns, Research Prize Winner; Charles Kratz, Dean of the Library; and Donna Witek, Information Literacy Coordinator

Maura is a senior History major with minors in Biology and Biochemistry from Jessup, Pennsylvania, who submitted to the competition her paper “Medicine in the American Revolution,” completed in the course HIST 490: Senior Seminar on the American Revolution, taught by Dr. David Dzurec. In her description of research she explains, “I learned that the University of Scranton website connects to a network of libraries and resources that helped me form the backbone of my paper.” Maura goes on to rightly note that “just like history, research is unpredictable,” and that “research is a learning experience in and of itself,” things she learned through conducting the research for this project.

The Weinberg Memorial Library inaugurated the prize in 2011 to recognize excellence in research projects that show evidence of significant knowledge of the methods of research and the information gathering process, and use of library resources, tools, and services. In 2017, the prize was named for Professor Emerita Bonnie W. Oldham, who founded the prize at the University in 2011.

Honorable Mention awards in the Undergraduate Upper-level category included Catherine McManus, a junior Biology major with a minor in Political Science, as well as group partners Luis Melgar, a senior Exercise Science major with minors in Spanish and Theology, and Julianne Burrill, a junior Exercise Science major.

Emily Dineen is the winner of the 2018 Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize in the Graduate category.

Donna Witek, Information Literacy Coordinator; Emily Dineen, Research Prize Winner; Charles Kratz, Dean of the Library; Marlene Joy Morgan, Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy; and Victoria Castellanos, Associate Dean of the Panuska College of Professional Studies

Emily is a graduate occupational therapy student from Bethel, Connecticut, who submitted to the competition her project “Historical Analysis,” completed in the course OT 501: Leadership in Occupational Therapy, taught by Dr. Marlene Joy Morgan. For this project Emily researched sensory integration intervention in pediatric occupational therapy, and of her research process she said, “I was able to literally see the progression of the sensory integration approach and of the profession itself,” calling it a “historical immersive experience.”

New in 2018, the Library has created a third category to recognize research excellence and learning in the first year. Nicole Cavanaugh is the winner of the 2018 Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize in the Undergraduate Foundational category, which is awarded to the winning project completed in a 100-level course.

Donna Witek, Information Literacy Coordinator; Brian Conniff, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Nicole Cavanaugh, Research Prize Winner; and Charles Kratz, Dean of the Library

Nicole is a first-year Accounting major from Dallas, Pennsylvania, who submitted to the competition her paper “There’s No Gain in the Globalization Game,” completed in Prof. Dawn D’Aries Zera’s WRTG 107: Composition course. To complete her research, Nicole took advantage of the Library’s Research Services, made available to students at the Research Services desk on the second floor of the Library. It was there that she learned of the vast amount of information available through the Library. As she puts it in her description of research, “A few clicks from the university homepage and I was connected to thousands of media sources, books, magazines, articles, journals, and more.”

Honorable Mention awards in the Undergraduate Foundational category included group partners James P. McKane Jr., a first-year History major, and Alana Siock, a first-year French major, as well as Sydney Vanvourellis, a first-year Physiology major.

Prize winners were honored at a reception on Thursday, May 10, 2018 in the Heritage Room of the Weinberg Memorial Library.

Information about the Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize can be found on the website: http://www.scranton.edu/libraryresearchprize

Congratulations to all of our honorees!

Please consider giving to the Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize Endowment Fund, ensuring that the prize will be awarded in perpetuity. Make your gift directly to the fund here.

#GivingTuesday for the Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize Endowment Fund

This #GivingTuesday, help support student learning and information literacy for up and coming University of Scranton Royals by giving to the Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize Endowment Fund.

Named in honor of the late Bonnie Oldham, Associate Professor Emerita at The University of Scranton and Library Research Prize founder in the Weinberg Memorial Library, the Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize recognizes excellence in student 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.

It is the program in the Weinberg Memorial Library that most exemplifies the Jesuit ideal of magis–striving for excellence–as it relates to information literacy and students’ development of research skills and dispositions that will enable them to become leaders in their fields and professions.

Help us fully endow the Prize in perpetuity by making a donation today on #GivingTuesday!

To support student learning with your gift:

  1. Visit Support Scranton.
  2. Select “Weinberg Memorial Library” as the area you wish to support.
  3. Mention the “Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize Endowment Fund” in the Additional Comments box at the bottom of the page.

Enter to Be Honored (and Rewarded) for Your Research

Announcing the Library Research Prize application window for projects or papers completed in Intersession and Spring 2016!

Study
Image by Moyan Brenn (Flickr: aigle_dore; Photography website: Moyan Brenn Photography) via CC BY 2.0 (human readable license summary)

Are you going to complete a project or paper this semester that requires you to conduct research using information resources or services offered by the Library? Did you complete such a project or paper in Intersession 2016? Then you should consider applying to win the Library Research Prize.

Two prizes–one to an Undergraduate student or group, and one to a Graduate student or group–will be awarded this May to the projects or papers from this academic year 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 itself is $500, but perhaps even more enticing is the honor of being judged by faculty in all three colleges, librarians, and CTLE staff, to have excelled at conducting research and information gathering to accomplish a specific purpose or aim. (It also makes a great addition to your list of honors while pursuing your studies!)

In addition to submitting the project itself, complete applications also require a 500-word essay describing your research process (tips for writing this essay can be found here), as well as a statement of faculty support by the course instructor who assigned the project.

Visit the Library Research Prize page for details about applying and to see applications from past winners of the prize.

The deadline for applications featuring projects from Intersession or Spring 2016 is Friday, April 29, 2016 at 4:00 p.m.