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 Graduate Fund in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Award recognizes excellence in research. The award supports dissertation-related research expenses of doctoral students enrolled in the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies dual degree program. (Minors are not eligible for the award at this time.) Self-nominations are welcome. Applications should include:
- A one-page statement describing the applicant’s dissertation project with specific attention to research methods and goals.
- Two letters of recommendation from faculty that focus on the applicant’s research
- A current CV
- A current transcript
Applications are due February 17, 2020. Please submit all materials in pdf form (except recommendations) to the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Graduate Matters Committee at wgssgradprogram@psu.edu. Please ask your letter writers to send their recommendation directly to the same email address, preferably as an attached document.
Previous Recipients:
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