Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities

Awarded by
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The Class of 1879 Prize is awarded by the Humanities & Arts department yearly for excellent work in the culminating project for the Humanities & Arts Requirement. These projects must demonstrate exceptional creativity and skill in conceiving, developing, and expressing a theme within any discipline in the humanities and arts.  

History of the Prize

WPI has recognized exemplary work in the humanities and arts since 1872, when the department of English and Modern Languages established an award for the best paper in composition classes. At its reunion in 1900, the Class of 1879 endowed this prize for a paper "on a topic of general interest." The endowment was continued by Spencer Miller 1879, who wanted “to encourage graduates of the Institute to develop the art of clear and lucid English in the discussion of engineering subjects.”  The Class of 1879 Prize was then awarded annually to the best term paper in the departments of English, History, and Languages until the adoption of the WPI Plan in 1970. In 1983, the department of Humanities & Arts began to award the Class of 1879 Prize to the best Humanities Requirement Projects.  

The Class of 1879 Prize has evolved alongside WPI.  Today’s prize-winning projects rarely concern engineering subjects, and some aren’t even traditional essays.  But we still honor the spirit of Mr. Miller’s prize, to encourage and reward the highest achievements of human expression. 

Details for each year's competition are announced in November/December, with a deadline for submission in January. For information on the competition and how to submit your project for consideration, please contact the HUA office at ext. 5246 or at huaweb@wpi.edu.

Note: Prizes awarded for projects completed the previous year.

Browse Award Recipients

Year Recipient Name Title Awarded by Type Details
2013 Robert Dabrowski Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Honorable Mention Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Do Robots Have Freedom?", advisor: Jennifer McWeeny

2013 Rachel Handel Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Honorable Mention Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"The Towers Sesquicentennial Edition", advisor: James Cocola

2013 Victoria Carlson Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Honorable Mention Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"The President's Shot, Now What?", advisor: M. David Samson

2012 Christopher Bannon Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

“Transgenic Animals and the Catholic Church”, Advisor:  Bethel Eddy

2012 Xiuping Chen Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Origins and Characteristics of Chinese Cyber Nationalism”, Advisor:  Jennifer Rudolph

2012 Justin Rice Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

“Modernization in the Western Himalayas: Himachal Pradesh and the Apple Industry”, Advisor:  Thomas Robertson

2012 Syed Athar Bin Amir Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Honorable Mention Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

“An Evaluation of the Terror”, Advisor:  Bland Addison

2012 Ting Ting Wang Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Honorable Mention Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

“Union Carbide and the Bhopal Incident: An American Company in a Third World Nation During the Cold War”, Advisor:  Thomas Robertson

2011 Ashik Gowdar Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Muted Musing", Advisor: Joseph Farbook

2011 Peter Osswald Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"America's War in Afghanistan", Advisor Bland Addison

2011 Sarah Sawatzki Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Honorable Mention Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

“Women in Stone: Public Displays of Feminine Tenacity in London" Advisor John Delorey

2011 Mariah Seaboldt Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Honorable Mention Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"The House on Berkshire Street", Advisor: Michelle Ephraim

2011 Sarah Conlin Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Infamy: The Before After", Advisor James Cocola

2010 Kassondra Hickey Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

“Interactive Media Art,” advisor: Joseph Farbrook

2010 Craig Mitchell Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

“The John Hancock Tower,” advisor: M. David Samson

2010 Mortada Najem Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

“Human Applicable Cloning: the Islamic Debate,” advisor: Bethel Eddy

2010 Aakrit Bhakhri Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Honorable Mention Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

“Muslim Separatism and Identity in India: Aftermath of the Partition of 1947,” advisor: Ruth Smith

2010 Mark Hayden Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Honorable Mention Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Transmarginal Inhibition in Gravity’s Rainbow,” advisor: Lance Schachterle

2010 Xiaoyun Wang & Chang Liu Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Honorable Mention Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

“The Saint Archer” (animated short film), advisor: Joshua Rosenstock

2009 Sarah Albrecht Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Motives for Change: Signac's Stylistic Shift," advisor: D. Samson

2009 Jeffrey Marrion Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Philosophy and Film: Existentialism and Place," advisor: J. Sanbonmatsu

2009 Michael Szkutak Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Presidential Electioneering in the Television Age," advisor: J. Hanlan

2009 Heather Bell Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Honorable Mention Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Celtic Music Throughout the UK," advisor: J. Delorey

2009 Don Havener Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Honorable Mention Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"The Encyclopedia and the Third Estate," advisor B. Addison

2009 Everett Tripp Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Honorable Mention Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Why They Fought: The Working Class in Empire," advisor: P. Hansen

2008 Andrew Marchese Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Origins of Emergent Order: The Inadequacy of Reductionism and the Complexity of Light Phenomena," advisor: David Spanagel

2008 Richard Pampuro Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Right within Anarchism," advisor: John Sanbonmatsu

2008 Maggie Allard Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"The Butterfly (animated short)," advisor: Joshua Rosenstock

2008 Rui Dai Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Honorable Mention Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Red and the Rest (a memoir)," advisor: Lorraine Higgins

2008 Kirk Lanciani Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Honorable Mention Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Soaring on the Ground: The Flight Simulator," advisor: E. Malcom Parkinson

2008 Ryan Whetstone Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Honorable Mention Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Jazz Saxophone Performance; From Swing to Fusion," advisor: Richad Falco

2007 Rebecca C. Baron Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

“A Change in Expectations: Staging of Dueling in Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet,” advisor Michelle Ephraim

2007 Craig D. DiGiovanni Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

“The Planning and Implementation of Denazification in Post War Germany,” advisor David Dollenmayer

2007 Lucas Samuel Lincoln Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

“An Analysis of Pat Metheny as a Jazz Composer,” advisor Richard Falco

2006 Benjamin W. Dwyer Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Spirits of the Dead: a Musical Composition," advisor: Richard Falco

2006 Amanda J. Tarbet Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Multimodal Tensions in the Graphic Novel," advisor: Ruth Smith

2006 Eric G. Wilusz Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Competing Visions for Technical Education: the Founding of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Worcester Polytechnic Institute," advisor: David Spanagel

2005 Charles A. Gammal III Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"John Boynton: Farmer to Founder," advisor: David Rawson

2005 Karim G. Makram Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Breaking Out," advisor: Lorraine Higgins

2005 Hilal Tetik Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Robert Fludd's 'De Musica Mundana' and the Ideals of the Rasicrucian Brotherhood," advisor: Lee Fontanella

2004 Patrick A. Hogan Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Dying by Inches: Imperialism and Asian Famines," advisor: Peter H. Hansen

2004 Steven J. Tufo Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Considering the Absurd, Judgment, and Love: Albert Camus' Revolt Against Death," advisor: John Sanbonmatsu

2004 Laura E. Baldassari Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Flute Music of the Classical Period," advisor: Douglas G. Weeks

2003 Griffin R. Bryant Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Torment: a Story," advisor: Michelle K. Ephraim

2003 Ryan Patrick Jones Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Ministry: a Screenplay," advisor: Dean O'Donnell

2003 Gregory I. Ratner Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"The Outcomes of the 'Record War': History of the Record Industry, 1930-1955," advisor: Michael M. Sokal

2002 Kimberly Johnstone Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"The United States Supreme Court: The 2000 Presidential Election," advisor: JoAnn Manfra

2002 Amanda A. Roberts Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Sequencing within the Short Story Collection: An Experiment in Design and Practice," advisor: John Trimbur

2002 Benjamin K. Sandofsky Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"The Shawl: The Study and Application of David Mamet's Filmmaking Theories," advisor: Dean O'Donnell

2001 Brendan Morris Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities Winner Worcester Polytechnic Institute Undergraduate

"Rastro: The Essence of Madrid," advisor: Lee Fontanella