EIU Department of History

History Scholarships and Writing Awards

The History Department recognizes exemplary undergraduate and graduate student work with several awards. Some reward consistent high performance, others recognize distinction in research and writing or work on a topic or geographic region (see below). Deadlines vary, so please follow the directions that accompany a specific award, or contact Dr. Mark Hubbard, Awards Committee Chair, for clarification.

The awards listed below are not an exhaustive list of funding available here at EIU. This is just a list of 2018-2019 academic year award winners. As a student within the History Department, you are eligible for a number of scholarships awarded from outside the department that are not listed here. 

History Department Scholarships

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Undergraduate Scholarships

• The Errett and Mazie Warner History Award (first awarded in 1977): For an outstanding junior or senior history major.
  • 2019 recipients: Kate Gosnell, Sarah Massey, Nathan Vemmer

• Robert and Julie Sterling History Education in Social Science Scholarship (established in 1999 by Robert & Julie Sterling. Dr. Sterling taught in EIU's history department for 43 years (1956-1998), specializing in Civil War History. Julie likewise has provided dedicated service to EIU, working as an academic advisor for many years): For a junior or senior history major with teacher licensure. Graduating seniors are not eligible.
  • 2019 recipient: Ethan Osborne
    
    
• The William B. Reid, Jr. History Education Scholarship (established in 2001 by the family of William B. Reid, Jr. in recognition of his dedication to education. Mr. Reid taught for 35 years and received his high school, undergraduate, and graduate education at EIU): for a junior or senior history major with teacher licensure.
  • 2019 recipient: Miranda Smith
    
    
• Lawrence and Emily Nichols Memorial Scholarship (established in memory of Lawrence Nichols, a member of the History Department's faculty from 1962 through 1994; first awarded in 2006): for a full-time EIU student exhibiting academic excellence with an interest in U.S. or Latin American history.
  • 2019 recipient: Hannah Gillespie
    
    
• The Elisha H. and Estella Ziegler Baumgartner Scholarship (established in 1991 through the estate of Elisha H. Baumgartner): for an outstanding sophomore history major.
  • 2019 recipient: Jackson Melvin
    
    
• The Ardath Fogelsanger History Scholarship (established in 1974 by Ms. Edna Honaker in memory of her daughter Ardath Fogelsanger): for an upper division history major who, through activities in class and outside of the classroom, demonstrates a love for and dedication to the study of history.
  • 2019 recipient: Emma Dambek
    
    
• Jeanne and Donald Tingley Memorial Scholarship (established in 2006 by the friends and family of Dr. Donald Tingley, who served on the EIU History Department faculty from 1953 to 1985, and his wife, Jeanne): for a full-time history major in good standing. Preference is given to first generation incoming freshman and/or transfer students.
  • 2019 recipient: Hannah Myers

• The Rex Syndergaard Scholarship (in recognition of P. Rex Synderaard's service to the EIU History Department in which he taught from 1956-1980; first awarded in 1981): For an outstanding undergraduate or graduate student with an interest in teaching.
  • 2019 recipients: Tim Bradford & Gabriella Durbin

Graduate Scholarships

• The Charles H. and Dorothee Coleman Scholarship (established in memory of Charles H. Coleman who taught history at EIU from 1926 through 1961 and distinguished himself as a Lincoln Scholar; first awarded in 1973):For a distinguished graduate student majoring in history. Awarded at the beginning of the Fall semester; selected by the History Graduate Committee. Contact the History Graduate Coordinator for information.
  
  • 2019 recipient: Kashonta Dixon

History Department Writing Awards

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Undergraduate Writing Awards

• The Herbert and Jane Lasky Anne Frank Award (established in 1998 by Herb & Jane Lasky. Herb Lasky served the EIU History Department for nearly forty years (1966-2004), directed the EIU Honors program from its inception (1982-2004), and spearheaded the creation of the EIU Honors College): for the best undergraduate paper on the Holocaust written for a course taught by a member of EIU's history department.
• • 2019 recipient: Jacey Dillon

• The Alexander Hamilton Paper Award in American History (established in 1999 by Herb & Jane Lasky. Herb Lasky served the EIU History Department for nearly forty years (1966-2004), directed the EIU Honors program from its inception (1982-2004), and spearheaded the creation of EIU Honors College): for the best undergraduate paper on American history written for a course taught in EIU's history department.
  • 2019 recipient: Kate Gosnell for "Southern Sympathies in Illinois as Expressed Through Nelson versus The People"

Graduate Writing Awards

• The Lavern M. Hamand Graduate Writing Award** (Lavern Hamand taught in the EIU History Department from 1957 through 1982; first awarded in 1993): for the best paper by a graduate student in the Department of History enrolled in either the traditional or the historical administration program. (There are two competitions for this award - fall and spring.)
• 2018 recipient (Fall): Myrtle Castro
  
• 2019 recipient (Spring): Godwin Gyimah 

College & University Awards

Undergraduate

• Asian Studies Paper Awards (Undergraduate) Any paper that deals with Asia or Asian America and was written in Spring 2017, Fall 2017 or Spring 2018 for a course at EIU (or presented at a conference) will be accepted. Winners are required to present their papers and receive the awards at the conference. The online form for submission is located here: https://www.eiu.edu/asian_studies/awardapp.php  Questions: contact Dr. Tim Engles, tdengles@eiu.edu.
  • 2019 1st Place: Emma Dambek for “Medieval Islamic Women: A Historiography"

• Booth Library Award for Excellence in Student Research and Creativity (an award for which all University students qualify; administered through the Booth Library): The program encourages students to enhance their studies by utilizing the wealth of information available at Booth Library and other research venues. All entries are original works completed by Eastern students within the last 12 months. The award recipients are selected on the basis of excellence, creativity and the use of research resources. For more information, consult the rules on the Booth Library website. selected 
  • 2019 1st Place: Scott Boersma for "Tattooing Among American Sailors and Maritime Communities from 1860 to 1945"
  • 2019 3rd Place: Kate Gosnell for "Southern Sympathies in Illinois as Expressed Through Nelson Versus the People"

• Social Science Writing Awards (an award for which History undergraduates qualify: administered through the Dean's Office, College of Sciences): Regardless of major, students who write strong research papers in upper-division social sciences courses, including history, should consider submitting them for recognition and cash awards. Submissions are made directly to the chair of the History Department; selections are made by the Social Science Writing Awards Committee. 
  • 2019 2nd Place: Shane Melcom for "A Fresh Shipment of Disease: The Navy's Legacy on the Transference of the 1918 Influenza"

Graduate

• Robert and Kathryn Augustine Distinguished Thesis Award (awarded by the EIU Graduate School): To recognize the student with the highest achievement in master’s degree
  • 2019 recipient: Monica Burney for "The Meaning of a Woman's Work: Refugees, Statelessness, Nationality, and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, 1918-1931"

• Distinguished Graduate Student Award (awarded by the EIU Graduate School): Every graduate program has the opportunity to name one currently enrolled student from the program as a "Distinguished Graduate Student" to be recognized during the April awards ceremony. Criteria for selection is left to the faculty of the graduate program and the graduate coordinator is responsible for organizing the selection process and completing the notification form for the Graduate School. Students selected are then eligible to be nominated for induction into the Hamand Society of Graduate Scholars and graduate programs may want to refer to that eligibility criteria when selecting their program's Distinguished Graduate Student, but are not required to do so. Graduate Coordinators need to submit their program's selection by Friday, February 21, 2014.
  • 2019 recipient: Josh Bill
    

• Graduate School Research/Creative Activity Awards (awarded by the EIU Graduate School): to support outstanding graduate research and creative activity projects that include partnerships with external businesses, industries, or educational agencies. 
  • 2019 recipient: Godwin Gyimah

• Annie E. Weller Scholarship: The award was established by the family of Annie L. Weller to provide financial support for a full-time undergraduate or graduate student majoring in social sciences, history, or physical sciences accepted to Eastern Illinois University.
  • 2019 recipient: Godwin Gyimah

• Williams Travel Award (awarded by the EIU Graduate School): to provide travel support for EIU graduate degree-seeking candidates who have papers or creative works accepted for presentation at regional, state, national, or international conference between July 1 and June 20 of current fiscal year. 
  • 2019 recipients: Myrtle Castro, Sara English, and Godwin Gyimah

• Asian Studies Paper Awards (Graduate) Any paper that deals with Asia or Asian America and was written in Spring 2018, Fall 2018, or Spring 2019 for a course at EIU (or presented at a conference) will be accepted. Winners are required to present their papers and receive the awards at the conference. The online form for submission is located here: https://www.eiu.edu/asian_studies/awardapp.php  Questions: contact Dr. Tim Engles, tdengles@eiu.edu.  

  • 2019 1st Place: Godwin Gyimah for "Revisiting the Women Factor in China’s Textile, Sex, & Agriculture Industry, 1918-1931

  • 2019 2nd Place: Tom Hardy for "Good Wives and Wise Mothers: Gender Relations and Social Engineering in Meiji Japan"

  • 2019 3rd Place: Logan Braddock for "Out of the House and Into the Missions: Korean Women’s Place in Society Before and After                  Christian Missionaries"
    
    
• Graduate Student Investigator Award (awarded by the College of Arts & Sciences): The Graduate Student Investigator Award (GSI) program was developed to support graduate research and to provide a forum for the presentation of superior graduate student research.
  • 2019 recipient: Godwin Gyimah

• Interdisciplinary Center for Global Diversity Travel Grant   The Interdisciplinary Center for Global Diversity (ICGD) awards EIU students presenting original research/creative activity at a conference in keeping with the ICGD's mission of promoting a greater awareness of global diversity and interdisciplinary approaches to Africana, Asian, Latin American, and Women's Studies. The grants are for reimbursement of documented travel expenses. The grants are for reimbursement of documented travel expenses up to $200. https://www.eiu.edu/cats/forms/student_travel.php   

  • 2019 recipient: Myrtle Castro