Apply for the Christopher Brodigan Award

Given the current global health crisis related to Covid-19, applications must be sensitive to health and safety protocols, including travel restrictions and public health guidelines.  The award committee encourages the submission of digital project proposals and those designed with physical distancing in mind or that include a flexible timeline during the award year (2020-2021).  See the CDC website for specific global travel guidelines (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html).

African Studies is now accepting submissions from graduating seniors for the Brodigan Award, awarded every year in honor of Christopher Brodigan.  More information about the origin of the award is listed on the African Studies website:https://www.wesleyan.edu/africanstudies/brodigan/index.html.

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.

Several awards of up to approximately $3,000 each will be offered.  Recipients are required to submit reports on their projects once they are completed.

The deadline for applications is Tuesday, April 28th by 11:55pm EST.

Interested students should contact Prof. Laura Ann Twagira at ltwagira@wesleyan.edu or Prof. Alice Hadler at ahadler@wesleyan.edu.

Application Instructions

Applications should include:

  1. A proposal (2 pages) which includes the following information:

    • Description of project

    • Detailed plan for carrying out the project

    • Identification and description of any sponsoring organization

    • The proposal should address concerns regarding health, safety, or any political sensitivity

  1. A detailed budget, including airfare and room and board costs (1 page)

  2. A resume, including a listing and description of relevant Wesleyan coursework or other experiences

  3. The name of one faculty member who can serve as a reference for you and for your project

Applications should be submitted by email to Professor Laura Ann Twagira in the Department of History (ltwagira@wesleyan.edu).

Peter Morgenstern-Clarren ’03 Social Justice Employee Recognition Award 

Nominations are now being accepted for the Peter Morgenstern-Clarren ’03 Employee Recognition Award. Eligible Wesleyan employees include custodians, dining staff, grounds crew, and building maintenance staff (i.e. electricians, plumbers). The award is to honor and thank the people whose every day work helps the students at Wesleyan. Nominators may only submit one person for consideration; you are welcome to nominate yourself. The winner will receive a cash award of $1,500.

The Peter Morgenstern-Clarren ’03 Employee Recognition Award was created in memory of Peter Morgenstern-Clarren, who pursued social justice as a student at Wesleyan.  His activism included securing benefits for Wesleyan custodial staff, participating in the United Student and Labor Action Coalition, and contributing his leadership to the campus chapter of Amnesty International.  We are grateful to Dr. Hadley Morgenstern-Clarren and The Honorable Pat Morgenstern-Clarren for their generosity in sponsoring this award that honors their son’s activism for the public good.

To apply, please respond to the following questions in no more than two pages:

1)     What is your (the employee’s) job at Wesleyan? In what ways do you (the employee) engage and interact with Wesleyan students on campus?

2)     In what ways have you (the employee) contributed to student life at Wesleyan? If possible, please give specific examples.

3)     What do you (the employee) find most rewarding about working on campus?

4)     Is there anything else that you would like to tell the committee about yourself (the employee)?

Submit nominations to inclusion@wesleyan.edu by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, 2020.

Wesleyan Library Undergraduate Research Prize

Any student can submit a paper or project, widely conceived, from an undergraduate course taken between Spring 2019 and Winter 2020.  Honors theses are not eligible. The deadline is February 28, 2020 at 5:00 pm, and the first place winner will receive a cash prize of $500. I’m attaching a copy of the poster, in case that’s helpful, and here is a link to submission info.

Edgar Beckham Social Justice Awards Nominations

Nominate someone for the Edgar Beckham Social Justice Awards

The awards ceremony seeks to honor the late Dean Edgar Beckham, whose dedication to social justice continues to positively impact the Wesleyan community and to celebrate the students, faculty, staff, and members of the Middletown community whose efforts align with the ideals that guided his work.

We ask that you take a moment to reflect on those members of the wesleyan community you believe have committed themselves to social justice, whether it be through activism, community organizing, volunteering, academic research, etc. and then fill out the nomination form below. Forms must be completed by April 23rd. There are amazing people doing dynamic work across campus and this ceremony will honor them as well as our achievements for the year.

Click here to nominate someone today!

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 one or two students of color majoring in literature, in area studies, or a language major with a focus on literature, who demonstrate 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.

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 is your response to someone who asserts that a major in literature is “impractical?” Please offer a specific example from either your own experience or perhaps a literary text that can illustrate your views.

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

DEADLINE for submission of applications: 5 p.m., Monday, April 16.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF PRIZE WINNER: In time for the prize reception in May.

TO APPLY: Prize application form is attached. For further information, please contact the campus coordinator of the Shu Tokita Prize committee, Alice Hadler (Downey House 209, x 2832, ahadler@wesleyan.edu, campus mail: English Dept., 294 High St.). Please submit your application and essay as an email attachment to Prof. Hadler by the Monday April 16 deadline.

 

THE SHU TOKITA MEMORIAL PRIZE APPLICATION FORM

Name: _____________________________________ Class: _________________________

Campus Box #: ____________________________ Telephone: _____________________

WesID#: __________________________ E-Mail: _________________________

Home Address: _____________________________ Home Telephone: _______________

______________________________

Major: ________________________________________________________________________

Program with a focus on literature: _________________________________________________

Please check:

__________ I am a domestic student of color currently enrolled full-time at Wesleyan.

Please also check:

_____ I hereby give permission to the members of the Shu Tokita Memorial Prize Committee to

share among themselves information concerning my Financial Aid status for the purpose of

evaluating my application. I understand that the Committee members are Prof Emerita Yoshiko Samuel, East Asian Languages and Literatures, Teiji Kawana, ’84, Daphne Kwok, ’84, Alice Hadler, English Department and Dean’s Office, Renee Johnson-Thornton, Dean for the Class of 2018, Amy Tang, English Dept., Marguerite Nguyen, English Dept.  Current prizewinners may also be asked to read application essays, but will not see other application information.

Please include a 750- word essay on one of the two topics below with your application:

  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 is your response to someone who asserts that a major in literature is “impractical?” Please offer a specific example from either your own experience or perhaps a literary text that can illustrate your views.

 Applications should be submitted by email by April 16, 2018 to:

The Shu Tokita Memorial Prize Committee

ahadler@wesleyan.edu

Apply for the Wesleyan Black Alumni Council Prize

In April 1986, the Wesleyan Black Alumni Council (WBAC) established a memorial fund to honor deceased alumni of African descent. The memorial honors the memory and spirit of Bruce D. Hall ’77, James “Donnie” Rochester ’74, and Dwight L. Greene ’70. In its wisdom, the Council agreed that the most fitting honor of the spirit of deceased alumni was through a scholarship/summer experience grant to enrich and expand the education of students from underrepresented groups, or students interested in research pertaining to the African-American experience. The maximum stipend is $4,000. 

Application: A student who wishes to apply for the Wesleyan Black Alumni Council Memorial Prize must submit a proposal that includes all of the following: 

  1. A personal statement that includes a discussion of the applicant’s intellectual and academic interests and their relationship to the African American experience. 
  2. A description of the research plan that discusses the nature, scope and methodology that will be used to explore the problem/thesis/project. 
  3. An itemized budget that describes how the stipend will be used. 
  4. An unofficial academic history. 

The application must be submitted as an email attachment (.doc, .docx, or .pdf format) by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, April 12, 2018, to Dean Teshia Levy-Grant (tlevygrant@wesleyan.edu). Potential applicants for the WBAC Memorial Prize are strongly encouraged to make an appointment to meet with Dean Levy-Grant to discuss their proposal ideas: 122 North College 860.685.2272 

Join the Edgar Beckham Social Justice Awards Planning Committee

The annual Edgar Beckham Social Justice Awards ceremony seeks to honor the late Dean Edgar Beckham, whose dedication to social justice continues to positively impact the Wesleyan community. We aim to celebrate the students, faculty, staff, and members of the Middletown community whose efforts align with the ideals that guided his work. Our hope is that the recognition of these individuals will inspire other members of the community to commit to social justice work of their own.

To ensure that the ceremony is as successful as possible, the current members of the Edgar Beckham Planning Committee need full community participation. Here is how you can take part:

Join the Edgar Beckham Social Justice Awards Planning Committee!

The Edgar  Beckham Social Justice Awards Planning Committee is currently expanding. We are looking for motivated volunteers (particularly current freshmen and sophomores) to help make our annual banquet ceremony a success.

If you:

  • Care about social justice,
  • Want to make sure that students, faculty, and staff are recognized for good work they
  • are doing, as they deserve to be
  • Have any interest in event planning

Please fill out the this form so that we can get to work!

Announcing the 2017 GLASS Prize

The GLASS (Gay, Lesbian, and Sexuality Studies) Prize is awarded for the best research and writing on a subject in queer, trans*, LGBT, or sexuality studies.

The prize is open to Wesleyan undergraduate students in all classes; senior essays and theses are preferred. The award includes no cash benefit, but the winner’s name will be published in the 2017 Commencement booklet.

Entries must be submitted in hard copy by 4pm on Thursday, April 20 to the Center for the Americas (look for the bin labeled “GLASS Prize” in the downstairs hallway).

If you have any questions, please contact the GLASS Prize chair, Prof. Margot Weiss (mdweiss@wesleyan.edu).

More info at: http://www.wesleyan.edu/queerstudies/glass.html