The University of Texas Libraries and the Center for Skills and Experience Flags in the Undergraduate College celebrated the 2023 Undergraduate Writing and Research Awards on April 4, 2024.
The event was co-hosted by Dr. Lorraine Haricombe, Vice Provost and Director of the UT Libraries, and Dr. Richard Reddick, Dean of the Undergraduate College, with honors presented to the recipients of the UT Libraries' Signature Course Information Literacy Award and the Center for Skills and Experience Flags' Writing Flag Awards.
The Signature Course Information Literacy Award recognizes outstanding achievements in information literacy and research skills within the Signature Courses. Winners demonstrated exceptional abilities in identifying necessary information, conducting thorough research, critically analyzing findings, and synthesizing them with proper attribution into innovative projects.
This year's first-place recipient of the Signature Course Information Literacy Award is Joshua Maxwell, nominated by Dr. Adam Rabinowitz. Maxwell's paper, "Insights from the Study of Sword Combat in the Iliad," from UGS 302: Tales from the Trojan War, impressed the adjudicators with its meticulous examination of primary and secondary sources. Dr. Rabinowitz praised Maxwell's adeptness in reconciling conflicting interpretations within the secondary scholarship, underscoring his exemplary research skills.
Courtney Adams emerged as the second-place winner, nominated by Dr. Christy Erving, for her paper "Blackface: History and Implications on Black Health" from UGS 302: Black Health Matters. Dr. Erving commended Adams for her unconventional yet compelling exploration of the connections between historical blackface practices and contemporary health experiences among Black Americans. Adams surpassed expectations by skillfully integrating academic sources and crafting a coherent argument.
All award-winning papers, including those from previous years, are accessible at Texas ScholarWorks.
Congratulations to Joshua Maxwell, Courtney Adams, and all the talented student awardees for their remarkable achievements in research and writing.
