The Jim and Mary Lois Hulsman Undergraduate Library Research Award program recognizes excellence in undergraduate research that incorporates the use of University Libraries resources and demonstrates sophisticated information literacy skills. Student award winners receive a cash prize – $500 for 1st place, $300 for 2nd place, $200 for 3rd place – and recognition for their outstanding efforts. Submissions are posted in the UNM Digital Repository.
First Place (Tie)
Michael A. Chavez
Women, Nature, and Culture: Critical Ecofeminist Theory in Listening Woman
Recommended by Dr. Sarah Hernandez
Excerpt from Dr. Hernandez’s letter of support:
“This semester, most students focused on one school of literary criticism. Usually, this was an example we had already discussed in class such as feminism, psychoanalysis, deconstruction, or ecocriticism. However, Michael made an innovative decision, combining his interest in both feminism and ecocriticism to analyze Hillerman’s Listenting Woman. Women and land are dominant themes in the text. It was a very smart decision on Michael’s part to combine his interest in two schools of literary criticism to analyze and interpret the text through the lens of ecofeminist theory. Michael showed strong initiative by researching this theory on his own and applying it to his analysis of Hillerman’s novel. Through this lens, he was able to convincingly argue that Hillerman’s novel shows a lack of knowledge and respect for Navajo women and land. This is an important argument to make, as few literary scholars explore the damaging and pervasive stereotypes present in Hillerman’s work. In this paper (and in fact, all semester), Michael proved to be a strong ally to Native people and communities in the Southwest region.”
First Place (Tie)
Kori Szabo-Smith
Too Male to Fail: How Gender Disparity Manifests Within Owensboro’s K-12 Education System Under the Status Quo
Recommended by Dr. Ying Xu
Excerpt from Dr. Xu’s letter of support
[Kori] “has exemplified excellent research skills in the project. His research statement clearly identifies the issue of gender disparity in the k-12 education system in the local community, states a mixture of research methods combining scholarly, empirical, anecdotal, and local resources, and discusses the limitations of time restraints and the access to certain data… The student utilizes sources from government websites, school websites, newspaper articles, and personal interviews competently and effectively to support his analyses and discussion of the issue. Mr. Szabo-Smith has also demonstrated advanced skills in citing sources, synthesizing information, and analyzing a critical issue. Throughout the project, he consistently and correctly applied the MLA documentation and citations. I strongly recommend he be awarded the Library Research Award for his excellent work, advanced research skills, and his critical thinking in the project.”
The Department of English Language and Literatures at the University of New Mexico houses nearly 50 faculty members and over 100 graduate students, and virtually every undergraduate student receives instruction in one of our courses at some point in their careers. We occupy a central role at UNM because the University understands the importance of a solid foundation in the Humanities and the research process and the advantages it provides our students, regardless of background or major.
Find out more about the Hulsman Undergraduate Library Research Award Winners through this article from UNM University Libraries.
