Announcing 2021 IRIS NRC Undergraduate Paper Award Winners

IRIS NRC is one of eight area studies centers participating in the third annual Area and International Studies Undergraduate Paper Award. This monetary award provides undergraduate students up to $1,000 for the best paper on transregional themes, written during the academic year to fulfill a UW-Madison course or thesis requirement.

Please join the awards committee in congratulating this year’s winners!

  • Madelyn (Maddy) Demchick is a rising junior from Philadelphia, majoring in political science and international studies with certificates in public policy and educational policy studies.
    • Paper: Measuring Levels of Success of Reconciliation in Post-Conflict States
    • Course: Political Science 345 – Conflict Revolution
    • Faculty: Andrew Kydd, Political Science
  • Jordan Grob is a rising sophomore who intends to declare a major in International Studies: Politics and Policy in the Global Economy. When not studying, you can find Jordan watching low-quality movies with friends, exploring Madison’s shops, or at a favorite café, Le C’s, on State Street.
    • Paper: The Bitter Truth Behind Nestlé’s Sweets: Nestlé and Their Continued Usage of Child Labor
    • Course: International Studies 101
    • Faculty: Erica Simmons, International Studies and Political Science
  • Reyna Groff is a senior at UW Madison studying Art and Spanish with a certificate in French. She grew up in Madison as the eldest of eight siblings, and enjoys storytelling, language, and intercultural community.
    • Paper: Every Moment Is Now: The Graphic Novel “Here”and the Rhizome Model of History
    • Course: Art History 354 – Cross-Cultural Arts Around the Atlantic Rim: 1800 to the Present
    • Faculty: Kyungso Min, Art History
  • Zidu Xu is a graduating senior interested in the history of European imperialism in the nineteenth century, and headed to graduate school.
    • Paper: Popular Imperialism: British Creditors after Ottoman Default in 1875.
    • Course: History 680 – Honors Thesis Colloquium and History 682 – Senior Honors Thesis
    • Faculty: Daniel Stolz, History

Learn more about the award here, and apply next year!