The Dean Hank Dobin Prize in Community-Engaged Independent Work is awarded to students whose outstanding thesis best engages a community audience, whether through extensive research, policy recommendations, or new information and analysis. The prize is named after former Dean Dobin, who was instrumental to the creation of the Program for Community-Engaged Scholarship during his time at Princeton. Prizes are awarded on Class Day in May of each year.
The short reports below from the prize winners contain the most important conclusions of students’ research written in the style of an executive summary or policy brief. Students describe the relevance of their work for a particular community or organization, implications of their research for current policies and practices or recommendations for strategic change.
2022
First Prize
Jessica Lambert (Anthropology), Defending Our Freedom: The US Military, Environmental Contamination, and Ongoing Native Land Theft in the Choctaw Nation
Defending Our Freedom, Jessica Lambert
Second Prize
Ashley Morales (School of Public and International Affairs), An Analysis of Cooperative Housing in New York City Housing Policy
An Analysis of NYC Cooperative Housing Policy, Ashley Morales
Third Prize
Joshua Babu (Molecular Biology), Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy for Transgender Youth: Telomere Homeostasis, Psychological Wellbeing, and Barriers to Research
Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy for Transgender Youth, Josh Babu
2021
First Prize
Lauren McGrath (Anthropology), Ethnographic Data Visualization as a Methodology to Visualize the Health Impacts of Structural Violence in Urban Philadelphia Communities
The Side Unseen by Lauren McGrath
Second Prize
Jonathan Wang (Molecular Biology), Examining Low-Barrier Buprenorphine Treatment during COVID-19 for Individuals Experiencing Housing Insecurity and Homelessness
Examining Low-Barrier Buprenorphine Treatment by Jonathan Wang
Third Prize
Katherine Leggat-Barr (School for Public and International Affairs), Responding from a Fractured Foundation: An Analysis of the COVID-19 Response on the Navajo Nation, to Explain Observed Elevated COVID-19 Mortality Rates
Responding from a Fractured Foundation by Katherine Leggat-Barr
2020
First Prize
Rachel Kasdin (Sociology), The Crisis of Stigma: Young Adults’ Negotiation of Racism and Homelessness In Trenton’s Health Care System
The Crisis of Stigma, by Rachel Kasdin
Second Prize
Serena Alagappan (Comparative Literature), The Space Before Us
The Space Before Us, by Serena Alagappan
Third Prize
Vayne Ong (History), Springwood Avenue Rising: Race, Leisure, and Decline in the 1970 Asbury Park Uprising
Springwood Avenue Rising, by Vayne Ong
2019
First Prize
Madeline Gilson (Sociology), Fractured Families: A Qualitative Study of Deteriorating Kin Support Among Parents in the Child Welfare System
Fractured Families, by Madeline Gilson
Second Prize Co-Winners
Jordan Antebi (History), Citizen Participation Versus Urban Renewal, and the Struggle for Community In Trenton, New Jersey
Citizen Participation Versus Urban Renewal, by Jordan Antebi
Everett Elson (POL), Welfare's Silent Citizenry: An Interview-Based Study on Political Quiescence in the New Jersey Welfare System
Welfare's Silent Citizenry, by Everett Elson
2018
First Prize
Sophia Alvarez (Anthropology), When it Rains it Floods: An Ethnography of Infrastructure and Citizenship in New Orleans
When it Rains, It Floods, by Sophia Alvarez.pdf
Second Prize
Kelly McCabe (Spanish and Portuguese), Out of the Shadows: Opening Pathways to Domestic Violence Services for Latin American Immigrants in Mercer County
Out of the Shadows, by Kelly McCabe.pdf
Third Prize
Ariana Mirzada (Near Eastern Studies), Serving the Afghan Women of Diavata Camp: Considerations and Future Implications
Serving the Afghan Women of Diavata Camp, by Ariana Mirzada.pdf