Martin Luther King, Jr. Advancing Inclusion through Research Award
In an effort to build the body of work authored by students that supports the MSU and MLK, Jr. ideals of inclusive excellence, we encourage submissions of MSU student research papers and creative projects on topics on inclusion, diversity, marginalized populations, and human and civil rights.
MSU members of Honors College, James Madison College, Lyman Briggs College, or the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities during the Fall 2023 semester are eligible to apply.
The authors of the top three projects will win monetary prizes and will be recognized in college and university-level communications.
First Prize: $600
Second Prize: $500
Third Prize: $300
Submissions from work completed between January 2023-December 2023 are due by 11:59 p.m., January 17, to Dr. Brian Johnson at john3582@msu.edu. Please see below for application guidelines.
Please also consider presenting your work in person or online for additional prize consideration at the 2024 Diversity Research Showcase on Friday, January 19th 2024.
Sponsored by: Honors College, James Madison College, Lyman Briggs College, and the Residential College in Arts and Humanities
Application Guidelines
- All submissions must include a clear and thoughtful explanation of how the research paper/creative project connects to and advances inclusivity, in the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. The length of this attachment should be no more than 2 pages.
- Research papers and texts supporting creative projects must be no more than 20 double-spaced pages; the suggested length is 10-20 pages.
- All sources and references should be appropriately cited.
- Be sure to write clearly and proofread your final work.
- All submitted work must have been completed in calendar year 2023. Submissions completed for a class or campus project are welcome.
- Include your name and PID on a separate front page.
A committee comprised of faculty, staff, and students from the sponsoring Colleges will select the winners of the MLK, Jr. Advancing Inclusion through Research Award. Winners will be announced a week after MLK, Jr. Day 2024. Funds for winning entries will be placed into student accounts shortly thereafter, and are subject to MSU financial aid regulations. A reception will be held on Friday, February 9, 2024 in conjunction with the all-University Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Awards
Winners are strongly encouraged to submit their presentations for inclusion in the University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum.
Permission Notice: All or parts of winning and non-winning projects may be published on the sponsoring Colleges’ websites. Sponsored by: Honors College, James Madison College, Lyman Briggs College, and the Residential College in Arts and Humanities
| Previous Recipients | Year of Award |
| Claire Glenn (1st Place) | 2011 |
| Courtney Hurtt (2nd Place) | 2011 |
| Elizabeth Dunham (3rd Place) | 2011 |
| Mitch Goldsmith (Honorable Mention) | 2011 |
| Annie Norris (1st Place) | 2012 |
| Chelsea Yondo (1st Place) | 2012 |
| Leah Steinhauser (2nd Place) | 2012 |
| Jermayne Hairston (3rd Place) | 2012 |
| Natalie Lyon (1st Place) | 2013 |
| Corey Brown (2nd Place) | 2013 |
| Rachna Pannu (2nd Place) | 2013 |
| Lauren Pavlik (2nd Place) | 2013 |
| John Cody Roedel (2nd Place) | 2013 |
| Christine Rygiel (2nd Place) | 2013 |
| Emily Nott (3rd Place) | 2013 |
| Haley Carr (3rd Place) | 2013 |
| Kristiane Schmidt (1st Place) | 2014 |
| Mary Connolly (1st Place) | 2014 |
| Christopher Horn (1st Place) | 2014 |
| Margeaux LaCavera (1st Place) | 2014 |
| Levi Storks (1st Place) | 2014 |
| Jenny Crakes (3rd Place) | 2014 |
| Cameron Allie (1st Place) | 2015 |
| Rachel Barton (1st Place) | 2015 |
| Erin Gumpper (1st Place) | 2015 |
| Ali Haque (1st Place) | 2015 |
| Savana Swanson (1st Place) | 2015 |
| Jolisa Brooks (2nd Place) | 2015 |
| Sona Movsisyan (3rd Place) | 2015 |
| Hannah Jenuwine (Honorable Mention) | 2015 |
| Leon Hister (Honorable Mention) | 2015 |
| Ryan Tarr (Honorable Mention) | 2015 |
| Kairston Nitsch (1st Place) | 2016 |
| Ewurama Dankah (2nd Place) | 2016 |
| Brittany Ladson (3rd Place) | 2016 |
| Sydnee Wargo (3rd Place) | 2016 |
| Tia Barbera (3rd Place) | 2016 |
| Erin Schaner (3rd Place) | 2016 |
| Lindsay Dean (3rd Place) | 2016 |
| Leon Hister (1st Place) | 2017 |
| Heidi Kurniawan (2nd Place) | 2017 |
| Erin Paskus (3rd Place) | 2017 |
| Brittany Wise (1st Place) | 2018 |
| Peyton Del Toro (2nd Place) | 2018 |
| Florence Rhodes (3rd Place) | 2018 |
| Katarina Huss (1st Place) | 2019 |
| Arzelia Williams (2nd Place) | 2019 |
| Jonathan Walkotten (3rd Place) | 2019 |
| Alex Barshaw (Honorable Mention) | 2019 |
| Taylor Toth (1st Place) | 2024 |
| Adrianna Roth (2nd Place) | 2024 |
| Stephanie Adams (3rd Place) | 2024 |
| Jordan Roebuck (Honorable Mention) | 2024 |
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