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Laura Richardson Whitaker Memorial Graduate Award in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Laura Richardson Whitaker

December 29, 1970 - March 23, 1994

Laura, a daughter of Seldon V. Whitaker Jr. and Susan Gurry Whitaker of State College, graduated in 1988 from State College Area High School, where she participated in the alternative program and served as the secretary of the program's advisory council.  Upon graduation, she received the Richard M. Sharp Award for Excellence for academic and civic achievement.  She was a senior at Penn State, majoring in History and had been elected to Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society.

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The Laura Richardson Whitaker Memorial Award recognizes excellence in research. The award supports dissertation-related research expenses of doctoral students enrolled in the WGSS dual-title program. (Minors are not eligible.) Self-nominations are welcome. Applications should include:

 A 1-2 page statement describing the applicant’s dissertation project with specific attention to research methods and goals
  • A budget and brief budget justification, including a list of other funding sources or outstanding applications for funding (one page max)
  • Two letters of recommendation that focus on the applicant’s research
  • A current CV
Applications are due February 19, 2021. Please submit all materials in pdf form (except recommendations) to . Please ask your letter writers to send their recommendation directly to the same email address, preferably as an attached document.

Previous Recipients:

2020 Miriam Gonzales and Katie Ellis

2019 Kelly Douma, Mary Kruk, Brook Leonhardt and Lars Stoltzfus-Brown

2018 Lauren Fritzsche and Carolyn Levy

2017 Kelsey Brain and Leslie Sotomayor

2016 Elisabeth Garner

2015 Maria del Rosario Castro Bernardini and Aparna Parikh

2014 Azita Ranjbar and Shan-Jan Sarah Liu