Prizes

Info Session for Christopher Brodigan Award – 4/9

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The Christopher Brodigan Fund was established in memory of Christopher Brodigan, a Wesleyan student who died in an accident in his frosh year. The Fund pays tribute to Christopher’s deep interest in Africa and to the public service he provided through teaching in Botswana prior to entering Wesleyan. Awards will be made to graduating Wesleyan seniors (first priority) and recent Wesleyan graduates who plan to pursue public service or research (in that order of preference) on the African continent.

Students from any discipline are encouraged to submit applications proposing a public service or research project in Africa.  Students may propose an individually designed project, or to provide service in an educational institution, development organization, grassroots group, or non-governmental organization pursuing service work.  Research projects will be supported especially if they state the potential significance for the public interest in the country where the project will be carried out.

Recipients receive awards of up to approximately $3,000 each. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with a member of the African Studies faculty (see Faculty listing on this website) while formulating their proposals. More information about the application process can be found on the African Studies website.

Info Session: Friday, April 9th at Noon (EST)

https://wesleyan.zoom.us/j/93349566057  (Use your Wesleyan credentials to log on)

The deadline for applications is Sunday, May 2nd by 11:55pm EST.

Questions? Contact Prof. Laura Ann Twagira

Shu Tokita Prize – Submissions due by 4/5

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Shu Tokita Prize

Deadline: Monday, April 5, 2021

For Students of Color Studying Literature:

The Shu Tokita ’84 Prize is awarded to a student of color majoring in literature, in area studies, or a language major with a focus on literature that demonstrates the need for substantial financial assistance. The friends and family of Shu Tokita established the prize in memory of his passing from leukemia, five years after graduating from Wesleyan. For him, literature was a pursuit that spoke to his life, one from which he drew both insight and strength. The award focuses on supporting students of color, for whom the study of literature is often considered a luxury. Awarded to one or two sophomores and/or juniors who demonstrate a clear commitment to literature, the prize is usually $1,500 per year for the remainder of their time at Wesleyan. The recipient(s) of the Shu Tokita Prize will receive the annual award at the start of the following fall semester, that is, for their junior and/or senior year(s), with the hope to encourage the recipients to share their insights and wisdom with their communities. Current Wesleyan student winners of the Shu Tokita Prize are Irmina Benson ’21, Ericka Ekhator ’21, Jake Kwon ’21, and Jade Tate ’22.

ELIGIBILITY:

  1. Any domestic student of color (U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or undocumented student) who is a full-time Wesleyan sophomore or junior and is African American, Asian/Pacific American, Latino/a American, or Native American, is eligible to apply. The applicant must be in need of substantial financial aid.
  2. The applicant’s major or focus of study must be in literature. Applicants may be affiliated with the following departments: English, College of Letters, other language/literature departments, or area studies, e. g., East Asian Studies concentrating on Chinese or Japanese literature.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

The selection is based on the submitted 750-word essay on one of two topics, and on financial need, and not on academic standing.

Shu Tokita Prize–Submission Instructions

Shu Tokita Prize for Students of Color Studying Literature – Apps Due by 6/1

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Shu Tokita Prize

For Students of Color Studying Literature

The Shu Tokita Prize, established by friends and relatives of Shu Tokita, ’84, will be awarded to a student of color majoring in literature, in area studies, or a language major with a focus on literature, who demonstrates need for substantial financial assistance. If you have any questions about whether or not you are eligible, please contact us.  Recipients will be selected on the basis of commitment to the study of literature as evidenced in the content and quality of their essays, and financial need. Awarded to one or two sophomores and/or juniors for the remainder of their time at Wesleyan, the Prize is usually $1,500 per year. The recipient(s) of the Shu Tokita Prize will receive the annual award at the start of the following fall semester, that is, for their junior and/or senior year(s).

The Prize was established in memory of Shu Tokita, Class of 1984, who passed away in January of 1989 from leukemia. He had received a B. A. in English Literature from Wesleyan University and an M. A. in Japanese Literature from Tsukuba University. He studied literature as a pursuit that spoke to his life, and from which he gained insights and, ultimately, strength. The Prize seeks to reflect Shu’s interest in literature and his belief that it should be accessible to people of all backgrounds; thus, the Prize is focused on supporting students of color, for whom the study of literature, Shu’s family and friends felt, is often considered a “luxury.” Through the Prize, we hope to encourage and assist Shu Tokita recipients in their decision to pursue literature as an academic endeavor. We hope that they will likewise share their insights and wisdom with their communities. Current Wesleyan student winners of the Shu Tokita Prize are Brynn Assignon ’20, Irmina Benson ’21, and Ericka Ekhator ’21.

ELIGIBILITY:

  1. Any domestic student of color (U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or undocumented student) who is a full-time Wesleyan sophomore or junior and is African American, Asian/Pacific American, Latino/a American, or Native American, is eligible to apply. The applicant must be in need of substantial financial aid.
  2. The applicant’s major or focus of study must be in literature. Applicants may be affiliated with the following departments: English, College of Letters, other language/literature departments, or area studies, e. g., East Asian Studies concentrating on Chinese or Japanese literature.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

The selection is based on the submitted 750-word essay on one of the two topics below, and on financial need, and not on academic standing.

Essay topics:

  1. How do you plan to use your major, or focus of study, to make literature more

accessible to people of all backgrounds?  Please offer a specific example from either your own experience or perhaps a literary text that can illustrate your views.

  1. What does literature have to offer us in this time of global pandemic?

SELECTION: Selection is based on review of applicant’s written essay and financial need.

DEADLINE for submission of applications: 5 p.m., Wednesday, June 1.

Please note:  Due to the disruptions of the pandemic, we have delayed the deadline. If you are planning to submit an application, and need more time beyond June 1st, please contact Prof Hadler.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF PRIZE WINNER:  By mid-June

TO APPLY: Prize application form is attached. For further information, please contact the campus coordinator of the Shu Tokita Prize committee, Alice Hadler, ahadler@wesleyan.edu (Downey House 209, x 2832).  Please submit your application and essay as an email attachment to Prof. Hadler by the June 1 deadline.

 

Preparing for Your Thesis Virtual Info Session Recording Now Available! 4/16

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Flyer for Preparing for Your Thesis Virtual Info Session

Preparing for Your Thesis Virtual Info Session Recording

Honors-Thesis Info Session Handout

Many thanks to our panelists:

  • Tanesha Leathers, Dean for the Class of 2021, Office of Academic Advancement
  • Susan Krajewski, Senior Associate Registrar, Registrar’s Office
  • Jennifer Rose, Professor of the Practice in the Center for Pedagogical Innovation and the Quantitative Analysis Center, Director of the Center for Pedagogical Innovation , Director of the Institutional Review Board (IRB)
  • Lori Gruen, William Griffin Professor of Philosophy, Professor in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Professor in Science in Society, Coordinator for Animal Studies
  • Andrew White, Caleb T. Winchester University Librarian, Olin Library
  • Kendall Hobbs, Research Librarian and Coordinator of Research Services, Olin Library
  • Bonnie Solivan, Academic Technologist, Information Technology Services (ITS)

Preparing for Your Thesis Virtual Info Session – This Friday (4/3/20)

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Preparing for Your Thesis Virtual Info Session

Friday, April 3, 2020, 3pm – 4pm, EST

Join representatives from the faculty, Office of the Registrar, Olin Library, the Institutional Review Board (IRB), and the Office of Academic Advancement/Class Deans to discuss how to prepare for pursuing a thesis next academic year.

The info session will be offered online through Zoom, and you will be emailed the session access information after you submit your RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/westhesis.

We understand not every student interested in the session will be available to participate at the designated time. The session will be recorded and posted online for students to access before the end of the semester.

You may contact Dean Leathers at tleathers@wesleyan.edu if you have any questions or concerns about your RSVP and/or the scheduled session.

We look forward to hosting you on April 3rd!

Dean Leathers

 

Wesleyan and the World Photo Contest

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It is that time of the year again! The Fries Center for Global Studies is hosting the 4th Annual Wes and the World PhotoContest and we are calling for photos.

Students interested in submitting photos to the photo contest should visit the Wes and the World blog to learn more about how to win, submission guidelines, contest rules, and how to submit their photographs. See full description below.

Each year the Fries Center for Global Studies hosts the Wes and the World Photo Contest. We ask Wesleyan students who have had any global experience over the previous summer and/or previous semester to submit photographs. This group includes study abroad returnees, international students, exchange students, fellowship recipients, and foreign language teaching assistants.

The purpose of the Wes in the World Photo Contest is to share stories about humanity across the globe through photographs within these four categories: contemporary issues, landscape, people, and cross-cultural learning. Our hope with these categories is to allow students to reflect on ways in which their global experience transcends borders by working towards perspective-taking, appreciating the wonderful landscapes of the earth, raising awareness about peoples and cultures outside of their ethnocentric lens, and connecting with others through cross-cultural exchange.

HOW TO WIN:

The photo with the most “Likes” on the FCGS Facebook page will win the People’s Choice Award. The other 4 categories of photos will be judged by a Photo Contest jury based on these criteria: 1) perspective-taking, 2) global self-awareness, and 3) personal and social responsibility. There will be a total of 5 awards!

  1. People’s Choice Award
  2. Best Photo of Contemporary Issues
  3. Best Photo of Cross-Cultural Exchange
  4. Best Photo of Landscape
  5. Best Photo of People

Students are not required to be professional photographers to participate. In fact, our photo jury is more interested in the stories behind the photographs than the photo-editing software they use. Winning photos will be judged by the stories and descriptions of how the photographs capture the categories stated above.

 SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Eligibility: The Wes and the World Photo Contest is open to all current Wesleyan students. Students must have a valid Wesleyan email address to submit photographs.

CONTEST RULES

  • Photos must be your original work.
  • Photos must be free of alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, or any inappropriate content.
  • You may submit no more than 1 photograph per category for a total of 4 submissions. 

HOW TO SUBMIT:

  • Describe all photos on the Fall 2019 Wes And The World Photo Contest form
  • Please title your file: first_last_category (ex: Jane_Doe_contemporaryissues)
  • In order to be displayed in our online gallery without being stretched or distorted, photographs must be submitted in .jpeg format, at least 2,000 pixels wide, and no larger than 10 MB.

To view previous year’s photo contest winners, please visit: https://bit.ly/2M3xQBd

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: September 30th, 2019, 11:59 p.m. (EST)

Reading by Prof. Amy Bloom: Excerpts from White Houses, April 19 at 7 p.m.

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Reading by bestselling author Amy Bloom 

from her new novel, White Houses

Followed by the presentation of the Friends of the Wesleyan Library Undergraduate Research Prizes

Thursday, April 19, 2018 • 7:00-8:30 pm

Smith Reading Room, Olin Memorial Library

The event is free and open to the public.  Books will be available for purchase. 

Amy Bloom, Shapiro-Silverberg Professor of Creative Writing, will read from her new novel White Houses, followed by the awarding of the Friends of the Wesleyan Library Undergraduate Research Prizes.  The Prizes celebrate excellence in writing and research using Wesleyan Library resources.

WHITE HOUSES is Amy Bloom’s first historical fiction. Guided by the three thousand letters (hundreds more had been burned) between prominent journalist Lorena Hickok and one of the world’s most admired women, Eleanor Roosevelt, all photocopied and tucked into a pile of worn boxes at the Roosevelt Library at Hyde Park, Bloom has recreated and re-imagined one of the great love stories of the 20th century.

“Bloom uncloaks the insidious treacheries girls and women face, poor and privileged alike. Through Hick’s loving eyes, we witness Eleanor’s complex struggles, unwavering discipline, and fierce passion, while Hick’s take on FDR and the rest of the Roosevelts is deftly lacerating. Hick’s outrage over the trauma inflicted on gays and lesbians, the class divide, the beauty quotient, and the gender double standard fuels this socially incisive, psychologically saturated, funny, and erotic fictionalization of legendary figures; this novel of extraordinary magnetism and insight; this keen celebration of love, loyalty, and sacrifice.”  –Booklist (starred review)

Amy Bloom is the author of Come to Me, a National Book Award finalist; A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You, nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award; Love Invents Us; Normal; Away, a New York Times bestseller; Where the God of Love Hangs Out; and Lucky Us, a New York Times bestseller. Her stories have appeared in The Best American Short Stories, O. Henry Prize Short Stories, The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction, and many other anthologies here and abroad. She has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic Monthly, Vogue, O: The Oprah Magazine, Slate, Tin House, and Salon, among other publications, and has won a National Magazine Award. She is the Shapiro-Silverberg Professor of Creative Writing at Wesleyan University.

Email libfriends@wesleyan.edu for more information.

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