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Four Students Win Libraries' Award for Undergraduate Research Excellence

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Dr. Wietse de Boer, Ms. Godard’s faculty advisor, who accepted on her behalf as she currently studying abroad in Paris, France; Sydney Chuen; Abigail Culpepper; Emily Mendenhall; and Miami University President Dr. Greg Crawford pose for a photo at the Undergraduate Research Forum Luncheon on Wednesday, April 25, 2018.

Pictured, left to right: Dr. Wietse de Boer, Ms. Godard’s faculty advisor, who accepted on her behalf as she currently studying abroad in Paris, France; Sydney Chuen; Abigail Culpepper; Emily Mendenhall; and Miami University President Dr. Greg Crawford

By Nick Kneer, communications specialist

The four student winners of the Miami University Libraries’ Award for Undergraduate Research Excellence (LAURE) were announced Wednesday, April 25 during the Undergraduate Research Forum.

  • First place: Caroline Godard, junior, for her project “Andrea Alciato and the Politics of the Printed Image”
  • Second place: Sydney Chuen, sophomore, for her project “Europe or Bust: A Comparative Study on Human Smuggling in Nimruz, Afghanistan and Agadez, Niger”
  • Honorable mention: Emily Mendenhall, senior, for her project “Student Understanding and Navigation Patterns of Miami University Sexual Violence Webpages”
  • Honorable mention: Abigail Culpepper, junior, for her project “Metaphors We Love By: A Cognitive Linguistic Analysis of Conceptual Metaphors of Love in Metropolitan French and American English”

The annual award, now in its third year, honors Miami undergraduates who demonstrate excellence in library research conducted in support of a student project. Lindsay Miller, LAURE committee member and assistant head of the Libraries’ Advise & Instruct department, presented the first place, second place, and two honorable mention winners at the Undergraduate Research Forum Luncheon.

“All of the winners mentioned an element of serendipity in their essays – whether it was finding the perfect book on the shelf at King Library or stumbling upon on online resource that they didn’t know they were looking for,” said Miller. “That’s something that really stood out to us: that they really let the research process lead them instead of the other way around, and they were open to that serendipity and that inquiry.”

Applicants submitted an essay detailing their research strategies and use of library tools, resources and services, bibliography, and project files. Submissions were judged by an eight-person panel of faculty, librarians, staff and one student on the researcher’s use and evaluation of information sources, use of the library, demonstration of an effective research process, and use of both digital and analog research tools.

The award-winning projects will be uploaded to Miami University Scholarly Commons and become part of the Undergraduate Sponsored Research and Scholarship Collection.

In addition to their recognition, the LAURE’s first place winner receives $1000, its second place winner receives $500, and its two honorable mentions each receive $100.