Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities
The Class of 1879 Prize is awarded by the Humanities & Arts department yearly for excellent work in the culminating project for the Humanities & Arts Requirement. These projects must demonstrate exceptional creativity and skill in conceiving, developing, and expressing a theme within any discipline in the humanities and arts.
History of the Prize
WPI has recognized exemplary work in the humanities and arts since 1872, when the department of English and Modern Languages established an award for the best paper in composition classes. At its reunion in 1900, the Class of 1879 endowed this prize for a paper "on a topic of general interest." The endowment was continued by Spencer Miller 1879, who wanted “to encourage graduates of the Institute to develop the art of clear and lucid English in the discussion of engineering subjects.” The Class of 1879 Prize was then awarded annually to the best term paper in the departments of English, History, and Languages until the adoption of the WPI Plan in 1970. In 1983, the department of Humanities & Arts began to award the Class of 1879 Prize to the best Humanities Requirement Projects.
The Class of 1879 Prize has evolved alongside WPI. Today’s prize-winning projects rarely concern engineering subjects, and some aren’t even traditional essays. But we still honor the spirit of Mr. Miller’s prize, to encourage and reward the highest achievements of human expression.
Details for each year's competition are announced in November/December, with a deadline for submission in January. For information on the competition and how to submit your project for consideration, please contact the HUA office at ext. 5246 or at huaweb@wpi.edu.
Note: Prizes awarded for projects completed the previous year.
Browse Award Recipients
| Year | Recipient | Name | Title | Awarded by | Type | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Ryan Patrick Jones | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Ministry: a Screenplay," advisor: Dean O'Donnell |
| 2003 | Gregory I. Ratner | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "The Outcomes of the 'Record War': History of the Record Industry, 1930-1955," advisor: Michael M. Sokal |
| 2002 | Kimberly Johnstone | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "The United States Supreme Court: The 2000 Presidential Election," advisor: JoAnn Manfra |
| 2002 | Amanda A. Roberts | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Sequencing within the Short Story Collection: An Experiment in Design and Practice," advisor: John Trimbur |
| 2002 | Benjamin K. Sandofsky | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "The Shawl: The Study and Application of David Mamet's Filmmaking Theories," advisor: Dean O'Donnell |
| 2001 | Brendan Morris | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Rastro: The Essence of Madrid," advisor: Lee Fontanella |
| 2001 | Jennifer Persico | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "The Jump From Resentment to Revolution," advisor: Deborah Gray |
| 2001 | Lauren Wojtkun | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Like the World of Dreams Itself': An Analysis of William Shakespeare's Use of the Green World in A Midsummer Night's Dream and As You Like It," advisor: Michelle Ephraim |
| 2000 | Florentin Groeli | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "British Jazz, or Jazz in Britain?," advisor: Douglas G. Weeks |
| 2000 | Janaki Kirloskar | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "A Glimpse of Reality in the Hindu Temple," advisor: Ruth Smith |
| 2000 | Emily Reynolds | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Becoming a Woman: A Look at the Influences of Patriarchy, Materialism and Relationships in The Great Gatsby and The Color Purple," advisor: Lisa Lebduska |
| 1999 | Corbin T. Hodder | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Toothpaste and Orange Juice: a Play," advisor: Dean O'Donnell |
| 1999 | Amelia A. Gilbreath | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Flute Recital," advisor: Douglas G. Weeks |
| 1999 | Richard E. Harang | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Mind and Materialism," advisor: Marianne Janack |
| 1998 | Quach B. Hai | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Self-Sponsoring Writing at WPI," advisor: John M. Trimbur |
| 1998 | Siu L. Ng | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Interwar Progress in Aerial Photographic Mapping," advisor: E. Malcolm Parkinson |
| 1998 | Ian E. Parmenter | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "A Work in Progress: a Screenplay," advisor: Dean M. O'Donnell |
| 1997 | Jeffrey L. Bayko | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "The Road to Jensenism (1923-1969)," advisor: Michael M. Sokal |
| 1997 | Janet L. Brennan | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "A Consideration of Consciousness Explained," advisor: Roger S. Gottlieb |
| 1997 | Daniel Murphy | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "The American Dream: Has it Become Unreachable," advisor: William A. Baller |
| 1996 | Greg Amiro | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "The Rock n' Roll Renaissance," advisor: Douglas G. Weeks |
| 1996 | Andrea Kodys | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Promises, Policies and Goals: The U.S. Occupation of Haiti, 1915-1934," advisor: James Watters |
| 1996 | Mickey Lacroix | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "A Critique of Husserlian Phenomenology," advisor: Bettina Bergo |
| 1995 | John D. Kedziora | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "The Failure of Command," advisor: James E. Watters |
| 1995 | Patricia L. Panlillo | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Toni Morrison's Women: Strengths and Variations," advisor: Laura J. Menides |
| 1995 | Nancy L. Round | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "The Origins of Violent Behavior: A Look at Behavior Genetics, Modern Biology, Serotonin, and the Ethics Involving Criminals," advisor: Thomas A. Shannon |
| 1994 | Karl F. Dicker | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "A Comprehensive History of Black Baseball," advisor: Deborah Gray |
| 1994 | Shaun P. Heaney | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "The Construction of New Union Station: A Product of Worcester's Grade Crossing Problem," advisor: James P. Watters |
| 1994 | Scott J. Higgins | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Who Am I? The Problem of Identity," advisor: Bettina Bergo |
| 1993 | Ahmed S. Al-Baiti | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Decorative Art of Door Carving on Zanzibar and Pemba Islands," advisor: David Samson |
| 1993 | Christopher G. McKeever | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "From an Alphabet to Strange and Interesting Designs: an Analysis" of Musical Notation," advisor: Douglas G. Weeks |
| 1993 | Henry R. McTague | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Do Animals Have Rights?," advisor: Bettina Bergo |
| 1992 | Chad L. Council | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "From Love Comes the Pieces of a Broken Heart - A Play," advisor: Susan Vick |
| 1992 | Lily Lau | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "The Monster in the Closet of Our Souls: The Gothic and Wuthering Heights," advisor: Joel Brattin |
| 1992 | Kevin M. Parker | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "The Society of Friends - Antislavery Pioneers," advisor: Steven C. Bullock |
| 1991 | Eric R. Bell | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Reagan Administration Foreign Policy Toward Dictatorships: A Comparative Study" |
| 1991 | Matthew R. Bontell | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "The Flood: A Suite for Brass Quartet" |
| 1991 | Stephen T. Kapushoc | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "The Knowledge and Vision of Loren Eiseley" |
| 1990 | Athena Demetry | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "The Individual in Israeli and Palestinian Literature" |
| 1990 | Bernard L. Dion | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "The Risk of Slavery: Warning Through Structure in 'Benito Cereno'" |
| 1990 | John A. MacNeill | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Tellurian Suite for Synthesizers, Clarinet and Flute" |
| 1990 | Joseph M. Sabatini | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "The Machine Gun as a Reflection of America Industry" |
| 1989 | Jeffrey L. Quirke | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Tragedy and the Gothic," advisor: Kent P. Ljungquist |
| 1989 | Sharon A. Savage | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "How the Organic and Mechanistic Conceptions of Life Apply to the Body and to Medicine," advisor: Iris Young |
| 1989 | Paul F. Wojiak | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Obstinacy and Naïveté: The Organized Labor Movement in Worcester, Massachusetts, During the 1930's," advisor: Robert L. Kolesar |
| 1988 | Christopher J. Buntil | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Give and Take: Anencephalic Babies as Organ Donors," advisor: Thomas A. Shannon |
| 1988 | Marc J. Champagne | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "American Gas Mask Research During World War I," advisor: W.A. Bland Addison |
| 1988 | Jeanette M. Cheetham | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "The Mask: a Window to Understand the Eskimos," advisor: Ruth Smith |
| 1987 | Shawn D. Harrison | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "Niépce, Daguerre and Talbot: the Motives Behind the Men," advisor: E. Malcolm Parkinson |
| 1987 | Edward C. Hein | Class of 1879 Prize for Outstanding Projects in the Humanities | Winner | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Undergraduate | "A Psychological Assessment of Lee Iacocca," advisor: Patrick P. Dunn |