History Club Service and Leadership Award
Cat Marshal
Freshman Seminar Prize
Cole Miller, Justifying Hatred: Scientific Racism and Immigration in America, Nominated by Tony Russommano.
Cole’s essay deals with a crucial topic: the development and spread of pseudoscientific notions of race and human difference. Cole does an excellent job of analyzing how scientific racism drew biological distinctions between the U.S. Anglo-Saxon population and everyone else, especially immigrant groups entering the country during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Hilda L. Smith Prize, Best Essay in Women’s History
Kathryn Siemer, “Utility, Novelty, and Elegance”: War, Politics, and Women’s Fashion in France and Britain, 1795-1815, nominated by Brianna Leavitt-Alcantara
Kathryn’s paper is an exemplary model of undergraduate research, analysis, and writing. After an extensive review of secondary scholarship, she developed a significant research question regarding female fashion trends in Napoleonic era France and Britain. Kathryn expertly mined fashion magazines and visual material as primary sources and analyzed this evidence in political, economic, and gendered contexts.
Grace Suhadolnik, ““Unsuitable for Females”: Examining the 1921 Women’s Football Ban in the Context of Post-War Britain,” nominated by Maura O’Connor
Grace’s paper is a succinctly written, persuasively argued essay that adeptly utilizes primary sources. She challenges the artificial division between research on women’s football and the ban, and the broader history of women’s suffrage and involvement in World War I. Grace aims to bridge these two areas of study, connecting the history of women’s football to the cultural context of early interwar Britain, thereby enriching our understanding of this period.
Em Ivanov, “The Women of Wonderland” nominated by Man Bun Kwan
The essay is a microhistory of female artists working for Walt Disney. It does an especially great job of working with primary source interview material found through podcasts and weaving this material into a well-written narrative about women in the workplace at Disney and change over time. Well researched, well argued, excellent integration of primary and secondary sources.
Lili Alimohammadi, “Braids: Anarcha-Feminism in Punk,” nominated by Robert Haug.
Lili’s zine explored the intersection of feminism and anarchism (anarcha-feminism) in the history of punk. They did this by combining a discussion of important anarchist feminist figures in the history of punk (particularly from the UK where anarcho-punk was more prominent) and their own art including poetry, an excerpt from the script of a play, and painting to highlight the connection between the past and the present struggles of women.
Best Digital, Public History, or Media Project Prize
Gretchen Nieberding, Inca Mummification and Ritual Killings (A StoryMap project). Nominated by Nominated by Brianna Leavitt-Alcantara.
Gretchen’s project checks all the boxes expected of first-rate undergraduate academic work: well-organized presentation, strong thesis argument, thoughtful and perceptive, rigorous and careful analysis. This is excellent work.
George B. Engberg Capstone Prize (Hist500)
Grace Suhadolnik, “‘Unsuitable for Females’: Examining the 1921 Women’s Football Ban in the Context of Post-War Britain,” nominated by Sigrun Haude.
Grace’s project offers an expert exploration of a moment in time – the 1910s into early 1920s – when women first experienced an opening with regard to soccer playing during the First World War. Once men returned from the war, that opening closed again. In her cogently crafted and beautifully written piece, Grace demonstrates how issues of gender and a desire for stability and control intersected to thwart women’s careers in football.
Ty M. Kerr, “High Caliber,” nominated by Man Bun Kwan.
Ty’s project delves into the use of drugs during World War I and how policies shifted from lax regulation to outright bans by the British, French, and German governments. It examines the impact of cocaine, opiates, and other substances on veterans’ addiction and subsequent influence on post-war prohibition movements. This study sheds light on a lesser-known aspect of both drug and World War I history, skillfully utilizing available primary and secondary sources to offer insightful perspectives on socio-political dynamics.
George Newburger Digital/Media/ Public History Capstone Prize (Hist5000)
Jack Yungblut, “Urban Renewal in Cincinnati’s Walnut Hills Neighborhood,” nominated by Anne Steinert.
During his public history internship with the Walnut Hills Historical Society, Jack researched and created a storymaps website—which he expanded for his capstone–exploring the history of Walnut Hills and the impacts of two major road construction projects. His research revealed that the Melish Extension had a more significant impact on the neighborhood than the Northeast Expressway (now I71), exposing the role of local transportation planning in dismantling one of the city’s historic Black enclaves.
Emma Louis Parry Capstone Prize (Hist5000)
Oliver Heitz, “Methods of Display: Science and Racism at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair,” nominated by Sigrun Huade.
Oliver’s project offers a spirited and deeply researched exploration of racial science at the 1893 Chicago World Fair. In this display of humanity’s racial evolution, the Natives found themselves at the bottom rung of civilization’s ladder. These exhibits, which resembled human zoos (White City) or entertainment venues (Midway Plaisance) that featured the Natives’ presumed savage nature, “educated” the public in deeply problematic ways by compounding racist and stereotypical views of Aboriginal Americans.
Em Ivanov, “The Women of Wonderland,” nominated by Man Bun Kwan.
Drawing from a myriad of interviews, podcasts, and diverse sources, Em intricately reconstructs the often-overlooked narrative of female artists within the Disney Studio. Her project explores women artists’ fight for recognition amid prejudices and employment practices, while tracing the changing roles of female animators from the 1920s to the 1990s. Em skillfully intertwines this story with broader 20th-century workplace challenges for women, showcasing how macro-level events resonated within a single workplace, offering a poignant reflection on societal shifts and individual careers.
Lenore F. McGrane Prize for the Outstanding Achievement in History
Joey Dietz, Nominated by Chris Philips
Joey, a graduating senior History major, has consistently demonstrated excellence throughout his academic career. Having taken multiple upper-division courses with me, including rigorous subjects like Colonial America and The American South to 1865, he consistently outshines his peers. In discussions, Joey’s insights are consistently the most perceptive and creative, reflecting both his deep engagement with the material and his exceptional writing skills. Despite his quiet demeanor, Joey’s command of the subject matter and his ability to utilize sources rival those of graduate students. His consistent performance, marked by top grades and insightful contributions, make him an undeniable candidate for our McGrane Prize/Scholarship. I cannot recommend him highly enough.
Jack Yungblut., Nominated by Isaac Campos
Jack has taken two classes with me, and his work has consistently stood out. Last semester, his research on baseball diplomacy between the United States and Cuba during the 1970s was refreshingly original and captivating. While I’ve encountered numerous papers on well-trodden historical events like the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis, Jack’s exploration of this lesser-known topic was a breath of fresh air. His fluid writing style and early mastery of historiography were truly impressive, making me genuinely excited to engage with his work. Jack’s exceptional performance continued throughout the semester, showcasing his creativity, strong writing skills, and deep understanding of history. In my current class on Drugs and Other Addictions Since 1980, Jack remains an outstanding student, offering insightful commentary and demonstrating a level of historical thinking that surpasses most of his peers.
Dillon Jackson, nominated by Maura O’Connor
Dillon Jackson stands out as one of the most exceptional undergraduate students I’ve ever taught, easily ranking in the top 3 to 5% of history majors. His intellect, coupled with outstanding analytical and interpretive abilities, allows him to craft compelling arguments and synthesize complex historiography. Dillon’s originality in analysis and interpretation, combined with his exceptional writing skills, sets him apart as a truly talented scholar. Even in a graduate seminar, he demonstrated remarkable proficiency, earning top marks and standing out as one of the most sophisticated thinkers and writers. Despite juggling a near full-time job, Dillon actively contributes to class discussions, inspiring his peers with his confidence and depth of knowledge. His dedication to his work and evident passion make him not only remarkable but also a source of inspiration from whom I have personally learned a great deal. I wholeheartedly recommend him for this recognition.
Em Ivanov, nominated by Robert Haug
Em is one of the finest writers I’ve seen in my years as an instructor, someone who puts the same level of care, consideration, deep thought, and craftsmanship into a forum post, a reply to a fellow student, primary source analysis, or even an email. Em is constantly engaged in conversation in the classroom, ready to push the discussion further, providing sharp analysis that helps the class consider issues from a new perspective. Em’s work has focused on the importance of diverse voices in the history of popular culture, be it female animators at Disney or queer punk musicians, and this gives Em’s work its unique voice that contributes to our understanding of our shared cultural experiences.
