Are you working on or planning a project that deals in some manner with American public policy in the last 75 years? It’s not too early to start thinking about the Fowler Paper Competition 2014! The generosity of Mr. Fowler has made possible an annual research paper competition at Roanoke College to recognize outstanding student papers dealing with recent U.S public policy.
The papers can be written from any disciplinary perspective (e.g., history, sociology, political science, econ, etc.). The prizes for excellent, distinguished, and superior papers are substantial: $2000, $1500, and $1,000 in cash (or double in graduate school scholarship).
To enter this year’s competition, submit a topic proposal by April 1, 2014 and the completed paper by the reading day of Spring 2014, to Ms. Pinckney (pinckney@roanoke.edu). Your topic proposal must include your paper’s (tentative) title, a paragraph description of the project, an outline of your paper (2 pages maximum) and the names of your honors committee members and/or paper supervisor.
Dr. Andreea Mihalache-O’Keef
For more information and examples of past winning papers, visit https://roanoke.edu/A-Z_Index/Henry_H_Fowler/Student_PapersScholarships.htm. If you have questions, contact Prof. Mihalache-O’Keef (mihalache@roanoke.edu).
If you are considering entering the competition, talk to your advisor or professor early on (one or two years early is NOT too early!) and ask for their suggestions on strengthening your paper. In recent years, the most successful papers have been those developed as Independent Study projects, with close faculty monitoring, and those written in seminars or advanced courses, but revised with faculty input over the course of a subsequent semester.
We look forward to your entries! Good luck!
Award-Winning Papers
Award-winning papers are available in the Fowler Archives Room of the Fintel Library. Recent winning titles include:
- 2013, Margaret Anderson, The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program: An Analysis of Policy Successes and Failures
- 2013, Alea Bier, Does the Drinking Age of 21 Really Benefit Society? Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Uniform Drinking Age Act
- 2013, Katherine Holland, Creating Equality through the Subsidization of Higher Education
- 2013, Olivia League, There Will Be Blood: HIVictory in the Intravenous Drug User Community through Clean Needle and Syringe Exchange Programs
- 2012, Travis Andrews, Renewable Portfolio Standards: Good Goals, Bad Economic Policies?
- 2012, Cristian Chis, Capitalism on the Rise: Effects of POlitics and Policy on U.S. Foreign Direct Investment in Central and Eastern Europe
- 2012, Cristian Chis, A ‘Special’ Alliance: The Evolution of European Foreign Policy and its Impact on the Transatlantic Alliance (1945-2005)
- 2012, Meghan Brinkley, Photo Identification Laws: A Failed Attempt to Address the Myth of Voter Fraud While Stripping Citizens of the Right to Vote
- 2011, Anne Whitesell, Online Mobilization and Maintenance: A Study of Women’s Interest Groups
- 2011, Anne Whitesell, The Influence of Interest Groups on Federal Education Policy
- 2010, Emily Huston, The Election Law Glass Floor?
- 2010, Laura Jennings, Feminist Theory and Maternity Leave
- 2010, Sarah Nuernberger, The Acronym Invasion: Development Work in Northern Uganda
- 2010, Sarah Seufer, An Analysis of Female Political Candidates
- 2009, Emily Huston, The Help America Vote Act of 2002: Well Intentioned Reforms, or Misguided Mandates?
- 2009, Samantha Sterba, Are Stimulus Checks an Effective Fiscal Policy Tool?
- 2008, Laura Hamilton, Flexibility versus Flexicurity: A Comparative Study of the American and Danish Welfare States in the International Economy
- 2007, Aaron Cook, Affirmative Action in Higher Education
- 2006, Laura Riddlebarger, Dynamics of Influence: Who Sets U.S-Cuba Policy?
- 2006, Tomasz Jemczura, The Essence and Reality of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
- 2006, Ashlyn Myers,Social Factors Contributing to the Growth of Alternative Medicine in the United States
- 2005, Jenna Zamesnik, Detroit’s Italians and the Public School Amendments of 1920 and 1924
- 2005, Andrea Blackwelder, Managing Diversity: The Business Imperative
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2005, Justin Watkins, State and Local Development Incentives: To the Winner Goes the Spoils?
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2004, MacKenzie Bub, Canada: The Prescription for Lower Drug Prices
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2004, Jennifer Erickson, An Examination of Judicial Activism and Restraint on the Rehnquist Court
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2004, Jennifer Erickson, Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996
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2003, John Michael Hull, Guarding Against Uncertainty: Energy Research and Development Policy in the U.S.
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2003, Daniel Presgrave, The Economic Impact of Virginia’s Explore Park
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2002, Christine Lambros, The Juvenile Drug Court Program in the United States
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2002, Amber Teitt, Political Trust and Promise Keeping in the United States 1977-2000
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2002, Amber Teitt, Public Policy in the United States: Chemical and Biological Warfare
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1998, Susan L. Wallace, Toward Construction of a Theoretical Model: Explicating the Disproportionate Identification of African American Students in Special Education
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1998, Joshua Nathaniel, The Thin Ice on Which We Walk: The Relationship Between the Human Population, Killer Microbes and Public Policy
For information about this program, please contact:
Dr. Andreea Mihalache-O’Keef, Department of Public Affairs
(540) 375-5297
West Hall 202