J.V. Cunningham Awards
The J.V. Cunningham Awards for Excellence in College Writing are open to all Brandeis undergraduates for superbly written papers judged to be outstanding in formal content, substantive strength and originality. Each professor or instructor may nominate a paper from a Brandeis course, excluding senior thesis, up to 20 pages in length.
Next deadline: May 7, 2025.
Congratulations, 2023-24 Winners!
Humanities
Eleanor Flynn
“'Poor Dodo': The Process of Pity in Middlemarch”
Nominated by John Plotz
Interdisciplinary
Audrey Kiarsis
“The Hemlock Society: A Fundamental Right to Die”
Nominated by Jordan Kokot
Social Sciences and Sciences
Alana Baptiste
“How can Intentional Diversification Exist without Discrimination? Look to the Students Amid Affirmative Action Fallout”
Nominated by James Geary
Past Winners
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Congratulations, 2022-23 Winners!
Social Sciences and Sciences
Lola Calotychos
“Manolis Glezos: The Last Partisan”
Nominated by Karen V. Hansen
Maya Haubrich
“Developing a Sacred Site: Stewardship and Native Protests on Maunakea”
Nominated by James Pollack
Michael Schwartz
“Trial by Confession: The Origins of Plea Bargaining in America”
Nominated by Michael Willrich
University Writing Seminar
Jaiden van Bork
“'Love It If We Made It': Experimental Pop and Societal Decay”
Nominated by Ethan King
Humanities
Eric Blum
“Linguistics, Physics, and Science in ‘Story of Your Life’ and Arrival”
Nominated by Professor John Plotz, Department of English
Caelen Hilty
“On Trial: Surveillance as Epidermalization and the Ahmaud Arbery Case”
Nominated by Dr. Patrick Kindig, University Writing Program
Savannah Jackson
“‘Story of Your Life': Future-Memories as a Science Fictional Form of Catharsis"
Nominated by Professor John Plotz, Department of English
Social Sciences and Sciences
Claire Hou
“Amy Tan: Unintended Activist”
Nominated by Professor Karen V. Hansen, Department of Sociology
Mia Plante
“LGBTQ+ Rights in Russia From the Pre-Soviet Era to Today”
Nominated by Professor Steven Wilson, Department of Politics
- Ashley Young '22, Fine Arts, "The Culmination of a Lifetime of Work: An Analysis of the Artistic Interests Influencing Mary Cassatt's 'Modern Woman.'"
- Ruby Carlon '20, Foreign Languages, "Donald Trump y la destitución."
- Caroline Greaney '21, Humanities, "The Outsiders and the Outside World: Exploring Identities Through Nature in 'Delta Wedding.'"
- Jac Guerra '22, Social Sciences and Sciences, "Gender Identity and Eating Disorders: Exploring the Convergence of the Transgender Identity and Disordered Eating."
- Milena Jeffers '20, Social Sciences and Sciences, "Commodified Bodies and Commercialized Reproduction: Preserving the Global Racial Hierarchy Through Transnational Ova Trade."
- Abigael Good '22, Humanities, "Nonbinary Bodies and Nonbinary Genders in Judaism."
- Sophie Trachtenberg '21, Social Sciences, "The Implications of Foodways and Cultural Preservation."
- Max Weinstein '20, Humanities, "Vasily Grossman and the Difference Between 'Good' and 'Evil.'
- Johan Chung '20, Humanities, “Anagogy and Failure in ‘The Violent Bear It Away.’”
- Martin DeLuca '20, Social Sciences, “The Permeation of Containment Policy: World Bank and U.S. Financing of the Volta River Project in Ghana, 1960-1963.”
- Emma Farrell ’'19, Humanities, “Sartre and Murdoch: Action and Vision.”
- Edward Liu '20, Xuantong Liu '20 and Yuhong Sun '20, Social Sciences, “Sprint Corporation: A Battle for Subscribers.”
- LaShawn Simmons ’18, Creative Arts, “Wangechi Mutu: Art and Collective Trauma.”
- Charlotte Aaron ’17, Social Sciences, “The Child’s Best Interest: An Examination of Children’s Rights in the Fair Hearing Process.”
- Devi Acharya ’18, Humanities, “Technology and Us in ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’”
- Talya Guenzburger ’18, University Writing Seminars, “The Rise of Subjectivity: Kierkegaard and Nietsche on Modernity.”
- Lilly Hecht ’17, Social Sciences, “Roughin’ Up Ruffin: The Development of Mann.”
- Leyi Hua ’18, University Writing Seminars/Composition, “The Inspiration From the Contradiction.”
- Yun-Kyung Kim ’18, Humanities, “The Gate of Angels.”
- Bidushi Adhikari ’17, Social Sciences, “Marriage and Mobility: Gender Norms Replicated in the Adhikari Family.”
- Leah Hastings ’16, Social Sciences, “Language, Space Politics and the Popularization of Reggaeton in Santiago, Chile.”
- Ariella Levisohn ’18, University Writing Seminars, “Minor v. Happersett: A Step Towards Universal Suffrage?”
- Lilian Medford ’15, Humanities, “Film Review: The Necessary Re-Indianization of ‘Midnight's Children.’”
- Isabel Ballan ’15, Humanities, “Red as Blood, White as Snow: Reading the Subtext of Sexual Violence in the Grimms’ ‘Little Red-Cap’ and ‘Snow White.’”
- Ben Fong ’18, University Writing Seminars, “Bazin, Neorealism, Bicycle Thieves and Boyhood.”
- Shoshana Goldberg ’15, Social Sciences, “The Second Generation Family.”
- Shimon Mazor ’15, Interdisciplinary Work.
- Brandon Sousa ’16, Foreign Language, “L’art de Francoise.”