Eight Michigan State University students have been recognized for sharing the inclusive, out-of-the-box thinking of Martin Luther King Jr.
The MLK Jr. Advancing Inclusion through Research Award was created in 2010 to highlight the ways in which MSU students follow King Jr.'s legacy, using their critical and creative skills to understand and re-envision the world. It continues to showcase student research that supports the MSU and MLK Jr. ideals of inclusive excellence.
The $500 first prize was awarded to Natalie Lyon, an Honors College member and a junior in James Madison College, for her paper, "Domestic Violence in Korean-American Communities: The Role of Culturally Sensitive Feminist Reform."
A collaborative video project, "Islamerica," produced by Lyman Briggs College students Corey Brown, Rachna Pannu, Lauren Pavlik, John Cody Roedel and Christine Rygiel, received the $250 second prize. Pavlik, Roedel and Rygiel are also members of the Honors College.
Residential College in the Arts and Humanities students Emily Nott and Haley Carr received the $100 third prize for their creative civic engagement project, "Whitehills Elementary Drama Club Spring 2012: Transformative Theatre on Race, Power and Privilege." Carr is a member of the Honors College.
This year's competition followed the original principles of eligibility, requiring students to be members of James Madison College, Lyman Briggs College, the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities or the Honors College and to submit research papers and creative projects completed during 2012 that were on topics of inclusion, diversity and marginalized populations. Faculty, staff and students from the sponsoring colleges comprised the selection committee.
All prize winners will be honored at the university’s Excellence in Diversity Awards Program on Feb. 15.