The winners of the Penn State University Libraries' 2014 Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis awards have been announced. Top winner of the $1,250 award is Chloe Quinn Weaver, history and German, for her thesis "An Economic and Historical Analysis of Turkish Guest Worker Migration to Postwar West Germany."
Natalie Roberts, history and political science, was awarded $750 for her thesis “History of Organic Farming in California and Pennsylvania.” Ronald Paul Mack Jr., kinesiology, was awarded $500 for his thesis "Marginal Zinc Intake Impairs Mammary Gland Involution, Increases Oxidative Stress and Disrupts Ductal Integrity Abrogating the Protective Effect of Lactation on Breast Tumorigenesis in a Mouse Model."
The annual competition, coordinated by Endowed/Distinguished Chairs/Librarians, includes a review of the submitted theses by a faculty jury and a public oral presentation by the students chosen as finalists. It provides an opportunity to fully appreciate the academic quality of Penn State students and the depth of their undergraduate research.
This year's panel of judges included Diane Zabel, chair and the Louis and Virginia Benzak Business Librarian; Bill Brockman, Paterno Family Librarian for Literature; Bonnie Osif, engineering librarian; Deryck Holdsworth, professor of geography; and Surojit Sarkar, assistant professor of immunology.
Barbara I. Dewey, dean of University Libraries and Scholarly Communications, explained, "The Libraries initiated this award as a way to emphasize the importance of utilizing quality research methods and employing a thorough understanding of the legal and ethical issues related to the use of information -- both key components of academic excellence. Through this award, the University Libraries with the Schreyer Honors College seek to encourage excellence in the research process of locating, evaluating, and utilizing appropriate scholarly resources."
More information about the award and last year's winners is online.
For more information, contact Sandy Confer at slb3@psu.edu or 814-863-4723.