The College Writing Program in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis celebrated the winners of this year’s Dean James E. McLeod First-Year Writing Prize in September and marked the prize’s 10th anniversary.
Created in 2013, the prize encourages first-year students to engage in research early in their academic careers while also recognizing the importance of exploring aspects of identity, gender or race. It is named after McLeod, who was a longtime leader at WashU, serving as vice chancellor for students and dean of Arts & Sciences before his death in 2011.
Nina Todreas, a sophomore majoring in psychology in Arts & Sciences, won a first prize for her paper on body positivity on TikTok. Rosy Almazan, a student at the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts, also won first prize for her paper on the coerced sterilization of Mexican-origin women. The runners-up included Amelia Wang, in Arts & Sciences, and Christine Jung, at the Sam Fox School. Students receiving honorable mentions are Dorian Marr and Isatou Sey.
Learn more on the Arts & Sciences webpage.
