Department of English Honors and Awards
2025 Awards
The KU English Department recognizes the following undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty members for the 2024-2025 academic year.
GRADUATE STUDENT AWARDS
THE KENNETH ROCKWELL AWARD
For excellence in the study of literature based upon the submission of one critical essay and a Degree Progress Report
1st Place Tie:
Tiffany Fritz, "The Imperial Propaganda of Supernatural Racialization in White Proto-feminist Literature”
Evan Barton, "Vanishing Mammy at the Color Line: Racial Essentialism and Cultural Discourse in Black No More and Passing”
THE WILLIAM ALBRECHT MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
For a significant research project based upon a research proposal. Recipient must be a graduate student enrolled in English at the University of Kansas and returning to KU for at least one more semester of study
- Jess House & Emma Webster, for their proposal “A Student-Facing Critical Edition of “Ithuriel,” a Proto-Feminist Short Story from 1798 by Anonymous with Emendations by Novelist Jane Porter”
DR. ANNE MARIE TURNER AWARD
For outstanding research in the field of American literature
- Tiffany Fritz
MARGARET FULLER AWARD
For scholarship in Feminist studies
- Abisola Akinsiku
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT TEACHING AWARDS
OUTSTANDING INSTRUCTOR AWARD
The Department of English at the University of Kansas recognizes Graduate Teaching Assistants or Lecturers who have distinguished themselves by the quality of their teaching
- Divya Bhalla
- Iain Ellis
- Tiffany Fritz
THE MABEL S. FRY AWARD
For excellence in teaching based upon nominations by undergraduate and graduate students of the department
- Dr. Sarah Ngoh
THE SELDEN LINCOLN WHITCOMB FELLOWSHIP
For excellence in scholastic research and promise in the field of teaching based upon a short personal statement, one critical essay, and evidence of exemplary classroom teaching
- Emily Counsil
STEPHEN F. EVANS AWARD
For excellence in course development. The Department of English at the University of Kansas recognizes Graduate Teaching Assistants or Lecturers who have distinguished themselves by the quality of their course design and development
- Abby Breyer
- Tiffany Fritz
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT AWARDS
FIRST YEAR WRITING AWARDS
For excellence in writing for papers written in fulfillment of assignments in English 101, 102, and 105
ENGL 101:
- Red King
- Zoe Nasits
- Abby Khoshabe
ENGL 102:
- Emma Likens
- Maya Chaparala Kabir
- Ilana Levenberg
ENGL 105:
- Abdullah Asif
AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN 200-LEVEL WRITING
For excellence in writing for papers written in fulfillment of assignments in ENGL 203, 209, 210, and 211
- Kaila Adams
ELLIE STRATMAN AWARD
For writing about the arts
- Charitha Lakkireddy
JOHN F. EBERHARDT EXCELLENCE IN WRITING AWARD
For English double major or English minor
- Eleni Chapas
- Wyatt Vaughn
THE HELEN RHODA HOOPES AWARD
For the best essays submitted in fulfillment of a regular class assignment by undergraduate women
- Evyn Gadd
- Joohye Oh
- Madeleine Morris
- Maizie Ferguson
- Ellen Miller
ILUS W. DAVIS AWARD
For excellence in expository writing by undergraduate students
- Cara Broel
- Clare Hawkins
- Leah Heischmidt
KENNETH ROCKWELL AWARD
For excellence in the study of literature
- Naomi James
SEAN PAUZAUSKIE LITERATURE AND MEDICINE AWARD
For students considering a career in healthcare
- Emma Buck-Stewart
BYRON SANTANGELO WRITING PRIZE
For excellence in writing in the environmental humanities
- Maddie Souser
OUTSTANDING SENIORS
Cara Broel
Ellis Conover
Emilia Gibbs
Myles Gilmer
Clare Hawkins
Jaydn Hayes
Naomi James
Michael Koch
Betsey Lewis
Jake Makela
Alexandra Meyer
Madeleine Morris
Joohye Oh
Sam Schaper
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT WRITING AWARDS
THE WILLIAM HERBERT CARRUTH MEMORIAL POETRY CONTEST
For undergraduate students based upon the submission of one to three poems
- Cecilia Moreno
- Grace Miller
- Magnolia Foster
THE EDGAR WOLFE AWARD IN FICTION
For best short story by an undergraduate
1st Place (Tie):
- Hazel Sylvester
- Elanie Sturgeon
2nd Place (Tie):
- Alexandra Meyer
- Luke Donovan
3rd Place:
- Priscilla Munoz
THE THOMAS J. O’DONNELL AWARD IN CREATIVE NONFICTION
Graduate
- Jude Patenaude
Undergraduate
1st Place:
- Naomi James
2nd Place:
- Elizabeth Rigney
3rd Place:
- Ellen Miller
4th Place:
- Trisha Nair
5th Place:
- Elizabeth Mooney
THE MAXWELL NATURE WRITING CONTEST
For the best nature essay or nature-themed story
1st Place:
- Elanie Sturgeon
2nd Place:
- Maizie Ferguson
3rd Place:
- Betsey Lewis
4th Place:
- Piper Essington
THE GUNN CENTER AWARD FOR SPECULATIVE FICTION
For best science fiction, fantasy, or speculative fiction
Graduate
1st Place:
- Natalie Wolf, “The Writing on the Walls”
Runner-up:
- Tiffany Fritz, “Free Magic”
Undergraduate
1st Place:
- Alexandra Meyer, “Rent, Electric, Water”
2nd Place:
- Cara Broel, “To Dream in Another Language”
3rd Place:
- Jaydn Hayes, "Observation Detail, Detainment S7”
CYNTHIA REISS-CLARK WRITING AWARD
For undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields whose writing about science makes topics broadly accessible to wider audiences
Graduate
- Evan Barton
Undergraduate
- Wyatt Vaughn