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Senior Seminar Essay Award

The Peace Studies Senior Seminar Essay Award is given each year to two graduating peace studies students who have demonstrated excellence in peace studies research and academic writing within the peace studies capstone course.

Any peace studies senior who completes a section of the foundational course IIPS 43101 Peace Studies Senior Seminar is eligible for the award. The instructor of each seminar nominates the paper or papers they judge to be the strongest example of peace studies scholarship from that section. A committee of peace studies faculty conducts a blind review of the nominated papers and selects first place and second place recipients.

The winners are announced to students and guests at the Kroc Institute’s graduation event during Commencement Weekend and presented with award certificates. Both recipients also receive a monetary award, and their essays may be used by the program as models of good undergraduate scholarship in peace studies.

Past Recipients

2023

Elizabeth Smith (First Place)
Jennifer Eburuoh (Second Place)

2022

Devin McCarthy (First Place) 
Christina Grossi (Second Place)

2021

Krystyna Kula (First Place)
Mary Killeen McCans (Second Place)

2020 

Because of the disruption of classes due to COVID-19, the Senior Seminar Essay Award was not given in 2020. 

2019

Melinda Davis (First Place)
Erin Pettigrew (Second Place)

2018

Francesco Tassi (First Place)
Brooke Ely (Second Place) 

2017

Dominique Duverney (First Place)
Danielle Aase (Second Place)

2016

Theresa Rinaldo (First Place)
Teresa Kennedy (Second Place)
Huili Chen (Honorable Mention)

2015

Elizabeth Spesia (First Place)
Brenna Gautam (Second Place)

2014

Dylan Nugent (First Place)
Lisa Taylor (Second Place)

2013

Athena Hughes (First Place)
Suzanna Pratt (Second Place)

2012     

Melissa Wrapp (First Place)
Catherine Latell (Second Place)

2011      

Kaitlyn Kiger (First Place)
Colin Littlefield (Second Place)

2010       

Sarah Kettler (First Place)
Kristi Haas (Second Place)

2009      

Christina Partyka (First Place)
Maureen Howard (Second Place)