Department of English Honors and Awards

2025 Awards

Now accepting submissions!

Click the link below for a full list of awards, descriptions, and submission information.

Deadline: Monday, March 10th, 2025 at 4:00 PM

Contact Adam Desnoyers, Chair, Awards Committee at desnoye@ku.edu with any questions.

2025 Awards Call

2024 Awards

The KU English Department recognizes the following undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty members for the 2023-2024 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:

  • Jess House, “A Marriage of Ideals: Escaping Administration in Sarah Jeannette Duncan's Set in Authority” 
  • Emma Webster, “’Yes, I Know the Author:’ Charles Brockden Brown’s Multiple and Retroactive Implied Audiences”

 

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.

  • Whitney Yi Knapp, "To Understand Everything"

 

DR. ANNE MARIE TURNER AWARD

For outstanding research in the field of American literature 

  • Emma Webster 

 

MARGARET FULLER AWARD

For scholarship in Feminist studies 

1st Place:

  • Tiffany Fritz, “The Imperial Propaganda of Supernatural Racialization in White Proto-feminist Literature.” 

2nd Place:

  • Marcia Walsh, “Resolving the Conflict Between the Beloved Community and the Sacred Hoop” 

 

SELDEN LINCOLN WHITCOMB FELLOWSHIP

For outstanding teaching and research  

  • Zachary Smith 

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.

  • Abby Breyer

  • Anthony Boynton

  • Iain Ellis

  • Zachary Smith 

 

THE MABEL S. FRY AWARD

For excellence in teaching based upon nominations by undergraduate and graduate students of the department.

  • Professor Pritha Prasad

 

THE FRANCES L. STIEFEL TEACHING PROFESSORSHIP IN ENGLISH

For an English faculty member who has generated a distinguished record of research, teaching, and service.

  • Professor Misty Schieberle

 

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. 

  • Zachary Smith

 

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

  • Whitney Knapp

  • Zachary Smith 

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:

  • Cecilia Moreno

  • Aubryn Bowers

ENGL 102:

  • Matthew Kurniawan
  • Leo Patredis

ENGL 105:

  • Leah Heischmidt

 

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.

  • Nash Rosado

 

ELLIE STRATMAN AWARD

For writing about the arts

  • Cara Broel

 

JOHN F. EBERHARDT EXCELLENCE IN WRITING AWARD

For English double major or English minor  

  • Tamara Rodriguez
  • Isabel Mathew

     

THE HELEN RHODA HOOPES AWARD

For the best essays submitted in fulfillment of a regular class assignment by undergraduate women.

  • Kat Balke  
  • Clare Hawkins   
  • Joohye Oh  
  • Fatima Asif  
  • Gabriela Ruiz  

 

HENRY MATTHEW WEIDNER AWARD

Open to students who are undergraduate men. For the best essays submitted in fulfillment of a regular class assignment by undergraduate men. 

  • Weston Curnow 
  • John Marshall 

 

ILUS W. DAVIS AWARD forexcellence in expository writing by undergraduate students

  • Ashleigh Waggoner

  • Major Copeland

  • Cara Broel

  • Leah Heischmidt 

 

KENNETH ROCKWELL AWARD for excellence in the study of literature

For the best essay submitted in fulfillment of a regular class assignment. 

1st Place:

  • Jane Makela

2nd Place:

  • Joohye Oh

3rd Place:

  • Ty Harris

4th Place:

  • Cara Broel

 

 

SEAN PAUZAUSKIE AWARD LITERATURE AND MEDICINE AWARD for students considering a career in healthcare

  • Bhavya Gupta

 

OUTSTANDING SENIORS

  • Kat Balke  

  • Major Copeland  

  • Jude Patenaude  

  • Cherin Russell  

  • Katie Taylor  

  • Katie Bryan  

  • Fatima Asif  

  • Rachel Paese  

  • Weston Curnow  

  • Ashleigh Waggoner  

  • Jacob Barta  

  • Gabriella Ruiz  

  • Kahill Perkins 

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT WRITING AWARDS

 

THE WILLIAM HERBERT CARRUTH MEMORIAL POETRY CONTEST

For undergraduate students based upon the submission of one to three poems.

1st Place:

  • Katherine Blase 

2nd Place Tie:

  • Betsey Lewis

  • Naomi James 

  • Samantha Barnes 

Honorable Mentions:

  • Zoya Nebesniak 

  • Rachel Stander 

  • Cara Broel 

 

THE HENRY MATTHEW WEIDNER CREATIVE WRITING AWARD

For the best portfolio of work by a graduate student.

Fiction

1st Place:

  • Tiffany Fritz

2nd Place:

  • Mackenzie McGee

Poetry

1st Place:

  • Anthony Boynton

Runner Up (Tie):

  • Tiffany Fritz

 

THE EDGAR WOLFE AWARD IN FICTION

For best short story by an undergraduate.

1st Place:

  • Kathryn Taylor, “Stuntwoman Saves the Midwest”   

2nd Place:

  • Harry Whited, “Deer”

3rd Place:

  • Janie Rainier, “You Would Have Died of Dysentery" 

4th Place:

  • Cecilia Moreno, “The Lollipop Lament” 

 

THE THOMAS J. O’DONNELL AWARD IN CREATIVE NONFICTION

Graduate

1st Place:

  • Meagen Youngdahl, “For the Stone Stacker” 

2nd Place Tie:

  • Evan Barton, "The Holy Land Experience" 

  • Alexander Crayon, “My Father’s Siblings At Their Father’s Funeral” 

 

Undergraduate

1st Place:

  • Naomi James, “Movement” 

2nd Place:

  • Weston Curnow, “Mens Sana In Corpore Sano”

3rd Place:

  • Kat Balke, “Flowers in the Christmas Garden”

Honorable Mention:

  • Elizabeth Mooney, “I Know That I Know Nothing”

 

THE MAXWELL NATURE WRITING CONTEST

For the best nature essay or nature-themed story.

Graduate

1st Place:

  • Meagen Youngdahl, “Falling Together in Time”

2nd Place:

  • Alex Crayon, “Blossom End-Rot"

Undergraduate

1st Place Tie:

  • Cecilia Moreno, “When the Lights Sang”

  • Jane Makela, “Freemartins” 

2nd Place Tie:

  • Kathryn Taylor, “A Musk Turtle Named Clay Aiken.”

  • Mallory Wells, “Gut-Shot” 

3rd Place:

  • Elanie Sturgeon, “A Worm’s Last Summer”

 

THE GUNN CENTER AWARD FOR SPECULATIVE FICTION for best science fiction, fantasy, or speculative fiction

Graduate

1st Place Tie:

  • Mackenzie McGee, “Our Song (Our Version)”

  • Tiffany Fritz, “Power-Saving Mode” 

Undergraduate

1st Place Tie:

  • Ashleigh Waggoner, “Orange Trees in Aruba”

  • Rylie Oswald Al-Awhad, “Splattered Ink” 

 

CYNTHIA REISS-CLARK WRITING AWARD for undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields whose writing about science makes topics broadly accessible to wider audiences

  • Samantha Barnes