Genevieve D. Willis Senior Thesis Prize Competition
Genevieve D. Willis Senior Thesis Prize for the best thesis written by an undergraduate at Notre Dame on a topic related to Gender Studies ($150). This prize is named in honor of Genevieve D. Willis, whose family has provided an endowment for the Gender Studies Program.
The winning submission should be a 25 or more page academic thesis addressing issues pertaining to Gender Studies. It must have been written during the academic year. As we mention on our home page, “Gender Studies analyzes the significance of gender—and the cognate subjects of sex, sexuality, race, ethnicity, class, religion, and nationality—in all areas of human life, especially in the social formation of human identities, practices, and institutions.” The winning thesis will address gender, or gender plus any of these cognates. The winning thesis will demonstrate advanced, if not original, academic research in Gender Studies. Stylistically, the winning thesis will conform to the expectations of professional academic research and writing at the advanced undergraduate level.
Submissions for thesis prize competition should be sent electronically to: gender@nd.edu on or by NOON on Second Friday in April.
Philip L. Quinn Essay Prize Competition
Philip L. Quinn Essay Prize for the best academic essay written by an undergraduate at Notre Dame on a topic related to Gender Studies ($100). This prize is named in honor of Professor Philip L. Quinn (1940-2004) who taught in the Notre Dame Philosophy Department for many years and was a generous supporter of the Gender Studies Program. Philip Quinn joined the faculty of University of Notre Dame in 1985 as the John A. O'Brien Professor of Philosophy. A scholar who specialized in the philosophy of religion and the philosophy of science, Quinn was the author of more than 200 articles, reviews, and entries in major reference works and presented more than 180 papers or lectures for learned societies and universities. He served as the editor of Faith and Philosophy from 1990-1995 and on the editorial boards of eight other journals, and was a significant force in the American Philosophical Association. In 2003, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
The winning submission should be an academic essay written by an undergraduate for a course taken at the University of Notre Dame. The academic essay may take the form of a research paper but cannot be a senior thesis. It must address issues of gender, or gender plus any of its cognates, as defined above. The winning essay will demonstrate advanced work in Gender Studies. It will also have a logical structure, clear language, and a well-supported argument.
Submissions for essay prize competition should be sent electronically to: gender@nd.edu on or by NOON on the Second Friday in April.
Submission Guidelines:
Essays and Theses should each have two cover pages.
First Cover Page must include:
- Name
- Major(s)/Minor(s)
- Title of Essay/Thesis
- Course Essay/Thesis was written for
- Semester Course was taken
- Instructor/Thesis Advisor name
Second Cover Page must include:
- TITLE of the essay/thesis
- PARAMETERS of the assignment
Please DO NOT include your name anywhere else on the document.
Essay/Thesis must be submitted in English. An essay or thesis written in another language must be translated into English prior to submission.
G. Margaret Porter Graduate Writing Award
The G. Margaret Porter Gender Studies Graduate Writing Prize ($150) is awarded to the best essay by a Gender Studies Graduate Minor student written in the calendar year (January to December). This prize is named in honor of G. Margaret Porter, who worked as the Gender Studies Librarian at the Hesburgh Library and enabled high caliber research in gender by ensuring that students and faculty at Notre Dame have access to the very best resources in Gender Studies. Submissions can be essays written for a class, or papers presented at conferences. Chapters of a dissertation and MA papers are not eligible. Only graduate students enrolled in the Gender Studies Minor may apply. Papers will be judged by a committee consisting of the Director of Gender Studies and two members of the Gender Studies affiliated faculty.
Submission for the Graduate Writing Prize should be sent electronically to: gender@nd.edu on or by NOON on theSecond Friday in April.
Submission Guidelines:
Submission should have two cover pages.
First Cover Page must include:
- Name
- Primary Department Affiliation
- Title
- Course or Conference the paper was written for
- Semester/Year of Course or Conference
Second Cover Page must include:
- TITLE of the paper
- PARAMETERS of the assignment or Conference Panel
Please DO NOT include your name anywhere else on the document.
Paper must be submitted in English. Any paper written in another language must be translated into English prior to submission.