Now in its thirteenth year, the Undergraduate Library Research Award recognizes and rewards LMU undergraduate students whose research makes expert and creative use of the services, resources, and collections of the William H. Hannon Library to produce a scholarly or creative work. Each entry includes the research project or paper, an essay explaining how the student conducted their research and used library resources, a bibliography, and a letter of nomination from the faculty member who had assigned the paper or project.
For 2019, the grand prize of $1,000 was awarded to Emily Rawson, for her work entitled “The Golem: An Exploration of Lotte Reiniger and German Expressionism.” Rawson was nominated by Tom Klein. For this award, Rawson produced a creative short animated film that, according to the Awards Committee, “reflected her understanding of German Expressionism and Reiniger’s animation techniques.” The committee was impressed with Rawson’s diverse bibliography and how she engaged with other film historians to supplement scarce written resources. Rawson is a junior animation major who produced this work for HNRS 2000.
Three honorable mentions, awarded $450 each, were recognized this year: Zachary Bishkin, Jeannette A. Martinez, and Daniel A. Siciliano.
Zachary Bishkin was nominated by Joshua Spizman for his work, “Evaluating Morningstar Wide Moat Stocks through the Business Cycle.” Bishkin’s application included a strong letter of recommendation that provided excellent context for the project within the discipline as well as noting his personal initiative and dedication to the project. The Awards Committee noted “the essay is a thoughtful reflection about the process of research and discovery, and the resources and services of the library as they relate to this process.” Bishkin is a senior finance and accounting major who produced this work for HNRS 4100.
The second of our honorable mentions, Jeannette A. Martinez, was nominated by Gil Klein for her work, “Willem Surenhuys’ Latin Translation of the Mishnah: The Ideal City of Panel 10.” The Awards Committee recognized Martinez’s diverse use of library resources, including archives and interlibrary loan, and was particularly impressed by her ability to distinguish her own interpretations through thoughtful analysis of primary sources. Additionally, the committee noted that Martinez’s essay “demonstrates dedication to the research process and commitment to scholarly authority.” Martinez is a senior art history and theology double major who produced this work for THST 3101.
The third honorable mention went to Daniel A. Siciliano, who was nominated by Erin Stackle for his work, “Moral Virtue: The Virtue of What?” Siciliano submitted a compelling paper that made a challenging philosophical argument approachable and a reflective essay demonstrating his engagement and dedication to his research. According to the Awards Committee, “through their research process and creative search strategies, the student demonstrated persistence and understanding of conducting research in the philosophy field.” Siciliano is a senior philosophy major who produced this work for SURP 2018.
Finally, the group award of $1000 was awarded to Jessica Griggs and Annie Shane for their project, “Service Dog–Human Relationship.” Nominated by Maire Ford and produced for PSYC 4100, Griggs and Shance created “a solid research project that reflects disciplinary standards in psychology research proposals.” Their reflective essay provided a good explanation of the value of library resources and their literature review identifies gaps in the published literature.
Congratulations to our 2019 winners! (And remember, Lions: any work completed in Spring 2019 is eligible for the 2020 award. So mark your calendars for next year!)
The Awards Committee – Nataly Blas, Jamie Hazlitt, Joshua Spizman, Elizabeth Wimberly, and Jessea Young – chose these entries because they demonstrate advanced information literacy practices, creative use of library collections and services, and clear evidence of significant learning. These works will be available in our Digital Commons. Dean Kristine Brancolini presented the awards at a special ceremony and reception on Friday, May 3, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. in the Von der Ahe Family Suite on Level 3 of the William H. Hannon Library.
The Undergraduate Library Research Award is generously supported by Thomas Peter Campora (LMU Class of ’66).