Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Eliot M. Fine | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | “Worcester: A Farewell Tour,” advisor: Joshua Harmon |
2020 | Julia Milks | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | “Psychiatric Healthcare in Morocco,” advisor: Rebecca Moody |
2018 | Harold Terry Hearst III | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | “The Music of Mario Galaxy,” advisor: Douglas Weeks |
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 |
2020 | Payton Bielawski | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | “Sheltered: A Look into the Connection Between Nature and Humankind,” advisor: Marie Keller |
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 |
2020 | Samuel Hopkins | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | “Development of Single-use Plastics in a Throwaway Culture,” advisor: Joseph Cullon |
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 |
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 |
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 |
2016 | Alex Markoski | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Greatest Influences for Being a Well-Rounded Musician," advisor: Douglas Weeks |
2014 | Xuan He | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | “Faith Healing” Major: Biomedical Engineering. Advisor: Bethel Eddy |
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 |
2016 | Eric Stolz | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "One- and Two-State Peace Solutions in Israel," advisor: W.A. Bland Addison |
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 |
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 |
2021 | Paul A. Pacheco Jr. & Vanessa Van DeMark advisor: Kristin Boudreau | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Addressing the Gender Gap in STEM Education with Classroom Interventions" |
2014 | Ali Fuat Becan | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | “Producer as Composer Practicum” Major: Electrical & Computer Engineering. Advisor: Scott Barton (honorable mention) |
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 |
2021 | Sage Ortega-Shue advisor: Joseph Cullon | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "The Appropriation of Defensible Space" |
2015 | Katherine Picchione | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | “Pokomchi Pictorial Literacy,” major: Mechanical Engineering and Society, Technology, and Policy, advisor: Ryan Madan |
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 |
2017 | Olivia Leavitt | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | “Repeat and Refrain: Making A Renaissance Villancico Modern,” advisor: Douglas Weeks |
2017 | Nicole Mattson | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | “For Every Hour: Twenty-Four Prose Poems,” advisor: Joshua Harmon |
2019 | Camryn Berry | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | “16:91,” Advisor: Katharine McIntyre |
2019 | Jackson Powell | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | “The impact of Government Intervention of Global Industry: A Case of China and the Solar Energy Industry,” advisor: John Galante |
2022 | Kseniia Romanova Advisor: Adryen Gonzales | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "2D Design to 3D Sculpture" |
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 |
2019 | Kristen Antunes | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | “Local Knowledge and Climate Adaptation,” advisor: William San Martin |
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 |
2022 | Alden Johnson Advisor: Rebecca Moody | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Gender in Wrestling: A Breakdown Beyond the Takedown" |
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 |
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 |
2022 | Clara Dublin Advisor: John Galante | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "From Entrance to Evacuation: The Development and Destruction of Japanese Immigrants’ Community Network in Seattle" |
2018 | Nde Nkimbeng | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | “The Multiple Selves of the Oppressed,” advisor: Jennifer McWeeny |
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 |
2018 | Rosa Reynoso | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Honorable Mention | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | “The Muslim World in Transition—Rediscovering True Islam,” advisor: W.A. Bland Addison |
2011 | Ashik Gowdar | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Muted Musing", Advisor: Joseph Farbook |
1993 | Ahmed S. Al-Baiti | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Decorative Art of Door Carving on Zanzibar and Pemba Islands," advisor: David Samson |
2020 | Cosette Domkofski | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | “Those Who Endure,” advisor: Joseph Aguilar |
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 |
1988 | Christopher J. Buntil | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Give and Take: Anencephalic Babies as Organ Donors," advisor: Thomas A. Shannon |
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 |
1983 | Martin Joseph Pierce | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | |
1999 | Corbin T. Hodder | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Toothpaste and Orange Juice: a Play," advisor: Dean O'Donnell |
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 |
1993 | Christopher G. McKeever | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "From an Alphabet to Strange and Interesting Designs: an Analysis" of Musical Notation," advisor: Douglas G. Weeks |
2008 | Richard Pampuro | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Right within Anarchism," advisor: John Sanbonmatsu |
1988 | Marc J. Champagne | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "American Gas Mask Research During World War I," advisor: W.A. Bland Addison |