The Dean James E. McLeod Freshman Writing Prize was created to encourage freshmen in the College of Arts & Sciences to begin engaging in research in the early stages of their undergraduate careers; to understand that scholarship is a creative form of expression that can reach others in real and meaningful ways; and most importantly, by fully participating in the process of research and writing, to see themselves as scholars in the making.

Dean McLeod was a great supporter of intellectual engagement and the transformation that can occur when students immerse themselves in the study of subjects they passionately care about. He also understood the power of individual mentorship and teaching.

The Dean James E. McLeod Freshman Writing Prize provides first-year students and their teachers a framework within which to work together to produce significant and meaningful pieces of writing for possible publication. It gives freshmen their first taste of writing for a broader audience and introduces them to research as a significant, valued, and valuable part of the undergraduate experience.

The long term goal of this prize is to encourage students to seek further opportunities to cultivate their intellectual interests by producing creative and innovative scholarship; to develop ideas they are passionate about into meaningful projects extending beyond the classroom; and to induce them to consider the power of entering larger public discourses by engaging in serious, well thought-out research. More information is available through the College Writing Program.

Submission Requirements for the Prize

An original research paper (8-12 pages of text) that explores some aspect of race, gender and/or identity. The paper may derive from any discipline provided that it is written in English and was created for a freshman seminar or course taken during the first year, taught by a Washington University instructor. Papers can be nominated through self-nomination or by instructors. Only one paper may be submitted per student.

Finalist papers are posted to http://openscholarship.wustl.edu/mcleod with permission from the students.

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Research Papers from 2023

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Coerced Sterilization of Mexican Origin Women: The Marginalization of Their Rights, Rosy Almazan

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The Disabled Lens: Viewing Gender Performance, Dorian Marr

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Black Women in Film: The Film Stereotypes, Cliches, and Tropes that Negatively Influence Perceptions of Black Women, Isatou K. Sey

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Is It Really #bodypositive? Examining the Effectiveness of the Body Positivity Movement on TikTok, Nina Todreas

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The Paradox of "Sad Girl" Music, Amelia Wang

Research Papers from 2022

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“Black Is in Fashion”: The Black Body as a Commodity in Jordan Peele’s Get Out, Jeffrey Camille

Honorary Whites vs. Yellow Peril: How Social Media Altered Asian Identity Throughout the Pandemic, Rachel Lu

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Art as Ammunition: The Weaponization of Rap Lyrics in Court, John Yeldham

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Trading Chinatown for Costco: The Future of Commercial Gentrification on St. Louis’ Olive Boulevard, Jade Zhang

Research Papers from 2021

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“A Civil Rights Law of Our Own”: Intersectionality and The Disability-Race Analogy in the Trailer for the Documentary Crip Camp, Lily Coll

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Stagnant Prejudice Against Dark Skin in South Indian Cinema, Shriya Penmetsa

Research Papers from 2020

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Commodifying Diversity: The Danger of Racial Capitalism on Student Growth in Higher Education, Jewel Evans

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Cool Kids, Camp, and Keeping Calm: Taylor Swift’s Attempt to Address Homophobia, Zoe Levin

Research Papers from 2019

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Do It for the Culture, Priyanka Iyer

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Sustenance Abuse: Anorexia, Bulimia, and & Black Women, Olivia J. Williams

Research Papers from 2018

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Racializing Sexuality: Voicing the Forced Silence of Young Black Queers on TV, CeCe Heard

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Queer as Folklore: How Fun Home Destabilizes the Metronormative Myth, Grace MacArthur

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Gentrifried: the Foodways of Neoliberal Urban Redevelopment in St. Louis, Elizabeth Schwartz

Research Papers from 2016

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Paging Equality: A Study of Women Leadership Positions in Medicine, Olivia Crow

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The Receptivity of Black Audiences to Progressive Black Television, Adon Wade-Currie

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You Better Work: The Decriminalization of Sex Work as a Transgender Woman of Color Rights Issue, Emily Wyland