Undergraduate Scholarship and Awards
2018-19 Senior Theses
Edmund Bannister, “A Hand in the Shadows: Alexander Haig, Vietnam and the Corruption of the NSC.” (advisors: John Bushnell, Michael Allen)
Sophie Chen (pictured, right), “‘Black and White’: Exploring African American Disillusionment with the USSR from 1932-1939.” (Leslie Harris)
Catherine Ettinger, “Sanctuary as Protection, Protest, and Policy: The Chicago Religious Task Force on Central America and the 1980s Sanctuary Movement.” (Lauren Stokes)
Daniel Fernandez, “‘Essentially and Ordinarily Human’: The Legacy of America’s Penal Press as Viewed Through The Atlantian.” (Michael Sherry)
Frank Joranko, “‘Tribal Injustice’: A Re-Analysis of the Impact of the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968.” (Geraldo Cadava)
Fidak Khan, “‘Blood Full of Adventure and War’: Masculinity and Martial Fervor in John T. McCutcheon’s Philippine-American War Reporting.” (Daniel Immerwahr)
Alex Moisa, “The Cost of Success: Environmentalism, Anti-Environmentalism, and the EPA, 1970-1985.” (Keith Woodhouse)
Jonathan Randell, “Ethnic Tensions and Russian Aspirations in the Baltic States.” (John Bushnell)
Jessica Schwalb, “‘A Man With Many Faces, All Turned in the Same Direction’: Julius Lester on Antisemitism, Anti-Blackness, and Black-Jewish Coalitions.” (Kate Masur)
Aidan Ziliak, “The Spatial Production of Resistance in Pilsen, Chicago: 1963-2016.” (Lauren Stokes, Geraldo Cadava)
In addition, the following undergraduate students were honored with awards:
Hearst Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship in History
(strongest junior major)
Elizabeth Perkins
Josef Barton Research Seminar Essay Award
(best 395 final essay)
Isaac Bushnell, “A Search for Identity and Prestige: The political role of sports in Mobutu’s Zaire, 1965-74,” written for History 395 with Professor Hanretta
Jacob Lassner Prize
(best essay in Jewish or Islamic civilization)
Levi Goldstein, “Sternists, Fascism, and Spectacular Violence,” written for History 393 with Professor Stokes
Wilks Prize in African History
(outstanding undergraduate essay in African history)
Aaron Boxerman, “Civilized Men,” written for History 399 with Professor Glassman
First-Year Seminar Essay Award
(for best final paper)
Jerry Wangtao Zheng, “How Did the Korean War Shape American Views on China and the Chinese,” written for History 103-6 with Professor Macauley
Grace Douglas Johnston Award
(best senior honors thesis presented to the History Department)
Daniel Fernandez (co-winner), “‘Essentially and Ordinarily Human’: The Legacy of America’s Penal Press as Viewed Through The Atlantian” (advisor: Michael Sherry)
Jessica Schwalb (co-winner), “‘A Man With Many Faces, All Turned in the Same Direction’: Julius Lester on Antisemitism, Anti-Blackness, and Black-Jewish Coalitions” (advisor: Kate Masur)
Finally, we are proud to list those undergraduate students who have received fellowships (both internal and external) this year:
Kelsey Allen-Niesen, Academic Year Undergraduate Research Grant (Research at Harvard University, advisor: Corey Byrnes)
Fiona Asokacitta, Leopold Fellowship in the Nicholas D. Chabraja Center for Historical Studies (advisor: Benjamin Frommer)
Amanda Gordon, Leopold Fellowship in the Nicholas D. Chabraja Center for Historical Studies (advisor: Deborah Cohen)
Carolina Laguna, Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award (Palmira, Colombia, advisor: Amy Kehoe)
Jade Marcum, Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (advisor: Kevin Boyle)
Kelly Miller, Leopold Fellowship in the Nicholas D. Chabraja Center for Historical Studies (advisor: Benjamin Frommer)
Sofie Rosenzweig, Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award (Saarland, Germany)