The Cynthia Krieser Award for Outstanding Freshman Writing
Established in 1990, the Cynthia Krieser Award memorializes a brilliant life tragically cut short. Honoring Cynthia’s love of writing, the award is presented for Outstanding Freshman Writing. A panel of W&R instructors reviews and selects the winner from the nominations.
This annual award is open to all students with freshman status in WRIT 100/101 or WRIT/LIBA 102 courses during the calendar year. Work should be submitted that was completed during the student’s freshman year, even though they may no longer be a freshman student at the time of the award selection. Nominations may be made by individual students and/or DWR teachers of record for coursework submitted by one of their freshman students.
Recipients of the Cynthia Krieser Award for Outstanding Freshman Writing will have their names added to the award plaque on display at the Department of Writing and Rhetoric; they will also receive a commemorative award and $400.00 (processed through the student’s University bursar account).
2023 Recipients
1st Place: Chloe Morgan – “Bayou City Biography: An Examination of Culture and Policy Houston’s Neighborhoods” (taught by Meredith Harper)
2nd Place: Luciana Rinaldi – “Is There a Lack of Accessibility in Public Spaces?” (taught by Susan Wood)
WRIT 100/WRIT 101 Honorable Mentions
Sterling Grimes – “Artificial Intelligence’s Enhancement of Electrical Engineering” (taught by Dawn Denham)
Julia Scheatzle – “Unsubscribe from Bad Parenting” (taught by Kellene O’Hara)
WRIT 102/LIBA 102 Honorable Mentions
Georgia Kemmett – “Rewriting the Playbook: An Analysis of Name, Image, Likeness Regulation” (taught by Susan Wood)
Ashley Linscott – “Beyond the Spinning Top: Unraveling the Emotional Depths of Inception” (taught by Whit Hubbard)
2022 Recipients
1st Place: Sydney Guntharp – “Drag Trends in Popular Culture: The Rise of RuPaul” (taught by Angela Green)
2nd Place: Natacha Husted – “Misconceptions of Safety Against Gun Violence in K-12 Educational Facilities” (taught by Kellye Makamson)
WRIT 100/WRIT 101 Honorable Mentions
Alana Akil – “The Stigma Must Be Broken for Disable Students to Succeed” (taught by Alice Myatt)
William Pentacost – Argumentative Essay (taught by Susan Wood)
WRIT 102/LIBA 102 Honorable Mentions
Liam Grady – “Opening the Blinds” (taught by Kellye Makamson)
Claire Reynolds – “Unsavory Truths of Food Packaging: Using Biodegradable Materials to Reduce the Global Food Waste Epidemic” (taught by Susan Wood)
2021 Recipients
1st Place: Ainsley Corwin – “Neoslavery and Civil Death: A Study in the Abolitionist Doctrine of Angela Davis (taught by Jimmy Thomas)
WRIT 100/WRIT 101 Honorable Mentions
Daniela Biner – “The Wild South: A Cry Against the Escalating Violence and Increasing Crime Rates in the Negev” (taught by Stephen Monroe)
Alex Parsa – “The Tree of Life — Appreciate the Roots” (taught by Bill Hays)
WRIT 102/LIBA 102 Honorable Mentions
Rosabella “Rosy” Ruffin – “Diving in Deep with Jaws” (taught by Whit Hubbard)
Bobby Onsby – “Funding the National Endowment for the Arts” (taught by Wendy Goldberg)
Past Recipients
Evelyn Shuler (2020)
Ember Suh (2019)
Brooke Belson (2018)
Riley Long (2017)
Charles Kuhlman (2016)
Chuqi Min (2015)
Kelsey Lock (2014)
Hunter Johnson (2013)