The USC Libraries announced the winners of the annual Research Award competition at a reception in Doheny Library on Tuesday, April 14. The award honors exceptional research that uses any of the resources available to students via the libraries—including books, journals, electronic databases, primary sources, reference consultations, and interlibrary loans.
The jurors chose the winners among a total of 26 undergraduate and graduate submissions completed during the previous calendar year. As part of their entry, students are asked to submit reflective essays on the research process and their journeys as critical interpreters of primary sources, databases, and other resources.
Science and Engineering Librarian Jane Lah, who chaired the committee organizing the award, praised the work of the student submitters, “Your research not only enriches our academic community but also reminds us of the power of inquiry and the importance of libraries as spaces for discovery and innovation.”
First prize in the graduate category went to Mohin Chanpura for “Spillover Effects of Public School Integration in the Southern United States: Diverging Trends in Statewide Annual Breast Cancer Incidence, 2001–2019.” In his accompanying reflective essay, Chanpura thanked the speedy services provided by librarians, noting how “the trajectory of my research would not have been possible without the USC Libraries.”
Second prize went to Christy Anyiam for “Closing the Linkage Gap: The Case for Early CHW Linkage After HCV Diagnosis.” Anyiam praised the research guidance she received as well as the ability to access full-text sources, “Primary sources were the backbone of my research on HCV linkage-to-care, shaping not only what I investigated but how I thought about the problem.”
Third prize went to Medha Sharma for “Telehealth Usage and Healthcare Expenditures, Delays, Ratings, and ER Visits in Adults with Asthma in the U.S.” Sharma praised the ready access to primary and peer-reviewed sources, that helped refine their research question, strengthen methodological decisions, and improve the ability to analyze quantitative data.
First prize in the undergraduate category went to Val Whitten for the paper “What Laws Don’t Say Out Loud but Our Handwriting Does.” Jurors highlighted Whitten’s excellent use of the USC Libraries Special Collections and digitized primary source archives, noting a genuine understanding and appreciation for how those materials are curated and preserved. One juror observed that the archival research transformed the paper from an abstract inquiry into one that tells a deeply human story and stands as a powerful example of the impact libraries can have—not just on student research, but on how archives can personalize the historical record and make scholarship meaningful for students and scholars alike.
Second prize went to Susie Liu for her paper “How the Brain, Emotion, and Experience Shape Our Choices and Why We Take Risks.” Liu credited her work to the specialized databases offered through the USC Libraries website, including PubMed, PsycINFO, and Oxford Scholarship Online.
Third prize went to Maya Volaitis for her paper “Understanding Equal Protection and Race-Conscious Admissions Through Constitutional History: An Amicus Brief for the Striker Institute.” Jurors praised the clarity of the argument and the student’s effective use of diverse sources to build a compelling, well-supported case. One juror opined, “Bravo to the future human rights attorney!”
The judges for this year’s awards included USC Libraries faculty and staff Amy Chatfield, Minyoung Chung, Lisa Marie Crow, Bridgid Fennell, Sandra Garcia-Myers, Javier Garibay, Marta Golbano, Jungeun Hong, Cari Kaurloto, Kevin Klipfel, Jane Lah, Sophie Lesinska, Tang Li, Eddie Loh, Karin Saric, Jennifer Silverman, Tarley Stevenson, Melanee Vicedo, Kelsey Vukic, and Ruth Wallach.
The USC Libraries Research Awards are generously supported by AM Digital and Johnson Rare Books & Archives. In addition, last year’s first-place undergraduate winner, Hudson Bishop Fey, donated his prize money back to the award so that additional winners could be recognized this year.
To learn more about the USC Libraries Research Awards, visit libguides.usc.edu/researchaward.