Riley Novak, a senior majoring in global studies and in Spanish in Arts & Sciences at WashU, has been named a recipient of the Hillary Rodham Clinton Award for Peace and Reconciliation at Queen’s University Belfast. The award provides a full-tuition scholarship to one woman from the United States each year.
Through a master’s degree in global security and borders, Novak will build on her undergraduate senior thesis, a comparative study examining conflict-related violence against women along the border dividing the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland during the Troubles, and along the United States-Mexico border in the 1990s.
“I am excited to study in Northern Ireland, where the professors and scholars at Queen’s University Belfast are deeply dedicated to peace building, with a particular focus on the importance of women’s stories,” Novak said.
At WashU, Novak has worked as an intern in the university’s Center for Human Rights, Gender and Migration since January 2023, contributing to the revision team of the International Criminal Court’s Gender-Based Violence and Children’s Policy Papers and conducting research on gender-based violence and human rights. She also serves as president of Legacies for Immigrants and Refugees, where she teaches weekly citizenship classes at the International Institute of St. Louis.
“In Riley, you will discover a sharp intellect, unassuming confidence, professionalism beyond her years, and a warmth and generosity of spirit,” wrote Amy Heath-Carpentier, a lecturer in global studies and Novak’s thesis adviser, in her letter of recommendation.
