Outstanding Writers Named

05/05/2020 

Fourteen students are recognized with Outstanding Writing Awards from SUNY Cortland’s College Writing Committee. Two writing contests, the Collin Anderson Memorial Awards in Creative Writing and the Writing across the Curriculum Awards in Academic Writing, solicit work that students produced for courses taken between January and December 2019.

The winners will receive cash prizes — $100 for the first-place winners and $50 for honorable mentions — and their work will be published in a booklet that will be posted online.

“We are proud of the great writing that these students have produced, and we are excited to share their work in an upcoming digital publication,” said Laura Davies, associate professor of English and director of Writing Programs.

These students will also be recognized as part of the upcoming virtual Transformations program. 

Collin Anderson Memorial Award recipients include:

Sean Dunn, a graduate student in recreation, won the Collin Anderson Memorial Award in Poetry for “Shotgun,” written in a class taught by Scott Moranda, history professor.

Leslie Mejia, a junior health education major, won honorable mention for the Collin Anderson Memorial Award in Poetry for “Loving You from Memory,” written in a professional writing course taught by Mario Hernandez, lecturer II in English.

Keaona Gray-Outlaw, a junior professional writing major, won both first place and honorable mention for the Collin Anderson Memorial Award in Fiction for “Out of the Box” and “Dancing on the Pavement.” Both stories were written in professional writing classes taught by Heather Bartlett, English instructor. Gray-Outlaw also won honorable mention for the Collin Anderson Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction for “Brooklyn: We Go HARD,” written in a class taught by David Franke, English and professional writing professor.

Kristina J. Petrella, a senior psychology major, was the Collin Anderson Memorial Award winner for Creative Nonfiction for “That Gold Foil Tho,” written in a class taught by David Franke, English and professional writing professor.

Writing Across Curriculum Award recipients include:

McKenzie Paladine, a sophomore psychology major, won the Kathy Lattimore First-Year Student Award for “A Look Into Jay Caspian Kang’s Article ‘Where Does Affirmative Action Leave Asian Americans?’” It was written in a composition course taught by Gailanne Mackenzie, lecturer III in English.

Miranda Kistner, a first-year adolescence education: Spanish major, won honorable mention for the Kathy Lattimore First-Year Student Award for “An Examination of Trump Impeachment Arguments,” written in a composition course taught by Gailanne Mackenzie, lecturer III in English.

Cooper Wickham, a junior business economics major, won honorable mention for the Kathy Lattimore First-Year Student Award for “Why Does Critical Thinking Go Wrong? The paper was written in a composition course taught by Timothy Emerson, lecturer I in English.

Sara Sampson, a senior professional writing and political science major, was the School of Arts and Sciences Academic Writing winner for “High Heels and Neckties: Gender Binaries in the Sims 4,” written in a professional writing class taught by Kevin Rutherford, assistant professor of English.

Christine Barry, a junior international studies major, earned a School of Arts and Sciences Academic Writing honorable mention for “Did bird poop from Peru contribute to the imperialistic expansion of the United States?” It was written in a course taught by Alexandru Balas, associate professor of international studies and director of the Clark Center for Global Engagement.

Sara Zick, a senior inclusive childhood education major, won the School of Education Academic Writing award for “How HW Smith’s Implementation of the Free Breakfast Program Affects Students,” written in a course taught by Rhiannon Maton, assistant professor of foundations and social advocacy.

Claire Fagan, a senior Spanish major, won honorable mention for the School of Education Academic Writing award in a course taught by Rhiannon Maton, assistant professor of foundations and social advocacy.

Julianna Duca, a senior community health major won the Academic Writing Award in the School of Professional Studies for “Decreasing Rates of Obesity in Onondaga County Among Older Adults,” written in a course taught by Distinguished Service Professor Donna Videto, Health Department.

Clare Witham, a senior exercise science major, won an honorable mention Academic Writing Award in the School of Professional Studies for “Athletes and Biometric Data,” written in a course taught by Kristine Newhall, assistant professor of kinesiology.

Sean Dunn, a graduate recreation major, won the Graduate Student Award for Academic Writing for an untitled work written in a course taught by Scott Moranda, history professor.

Jonathan Herr, a graduate history major, was awarded honorable mention for the Graduate Student Award for Academic Writing for “People as Places as People: Study Abroad and Placing the U.S. History in a Global Context,” written in a course taught by Gigi Peterson, associate professor of history.

Submissions for the 2020 Outstanding Writing Awards can be directed to Stephanie Ballard, English Department. Eligible papers will include those written for courses in 2020, whether spring or fall semesters, or winter or summer sessions.