Library Research Prize Winners Recognized
Charles E. Kratz, dean of the library and information fluency at The University of Scranton, awarded the 2019 Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize in the Undergraduate Upper-level category to Elizabeth McManus from Brookfield, Connecticut, a senior biochemistry, cell and molecular biology (BCMB) major with a minor in computer science; the 2019 Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize in the Undergraduate Foundational category to Isaiah Livelsberger from New Oxford, a first-year international studies and philosophy major; and the 2019 Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize in the Graduate category to occupational therapy students Kerry Ann Randall from Unionville, Connecticut, and Megan Schane from Cresco.
The Weinberg Memorial Library inaugurated the prize in 2011 to recognize excellence in research projects that show evidence of significant knowledge of the methods of research and the information gathering process, and use of library resources, tools, and services. In 2017, the prize was named for Professor Emerita Bonnie W. Oldham, who founded the prize at the University. Winning projects in each of the three categories receive a $500 prize.
McManus, winner in the Undergraduate Upper-level category, submitted to the competition her project “Preventative and Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines,” completed in her capstone course BCMB 490. For her research, she used the library’s curation of disciplinary resources to research and prepare a project culminating in a 35-minute presentation on the topic of vaccines to prevent and therapeutically treat cancer. At first reporting she was “overwhelmed” by the amount of information out there on this topic, she realized she needed to adapt her research strategy by using the database MEDLINE/PubMed to seek out review articles; her goal in doing this was to develop “a more substantial understanding of the topic” by filling in “the gaps in [her] knowledge.” McManus said, “By first establishing a wide breadth of knowledge on the topic, I prepared myself for the depth of research that followed.”
Honorable Mention awards in the Undergraduate Upper-level category were presented to Anna Maria Giblin, a junior history major with a philosophy minor and a legal studies concentration from Berwyn, who submitted her paper, “The Jungle,” completed in the course HIST 350: An Environmental History of the United States; and to senior occupational therapy majors Catherine Moloney from Hockessin, Deleware; Gabriela Lins from Ocean, New Jersey; and Kaitlin Kenyon, Centerport, New York; who submitted their group paper “The Efficacy of Virtual Reality in Upper Extremity Rehabilitation Post-Stroke,” completed in the course OT 494: Evidence Based Research.
Livelsberger, winner in the Undergraduate Foundational category, submitted to the competition his paper “Empty Aid,” completed his WRTG 107: Composition course. To complete his research, Livelsberger relied on initial instruction in brainstorming topical keywords, database searching and information evaluation provided by both his professor and a faculty librarian who visited his class, as well as support at the Research Services desk. What set his research apart, however, is the way his initial position on his topic changed through the research process, developing a more critical stance on the topic of the effects of humanitarian aid on recipient countries as a result of the new information he found. Through researching and writing this paper, Livelsberger “learned that research is a dynamic, intense process” and “discovered the seemingly unlimited information [he] can use as a university student through the library to develop educated opinions.”
An Honorable Mention award in the Undergraduate Foundational category was presented to first-year biology major Justine Duva from Glenmoore for her essay “An Investigation into the Effects of Skin to Skin Contact with Newborns” completed in her WRTG 107: Composition course.
Randall and Schane, winners in the Graduate category, submitted to the competition their project “Adaptive Equipment Through the Ages: A Historical Review of Occupational Therapy,” completed in the course OT 501: Leadership in Occupational Therapy. For this project, Randall and Schane made heavy use of library resources which they accessed through the online library research guide for this course. Resources used include the library’s databases including ProQuest Health and Medical Complete, CINAHL, and PubMed; books including those that were held on print reserve and at the Research Services desk, books from the circulating collection, and ebooks; journals both in print and online; and periodical literature only available in microfilm. They also took advantage of support from the faculty librarians both in class and at the Research Services desk, as well as Interlibrary Loan services. In their description of research, Randall and Schane conclude, “We could not have completed our paper without the library, the online and physical data, and the space to use its computers, scanners, printers, and quiet spaces. The library is an irreplaceable resource on campus with wonderful staff which has shaped us into better students and researchers as we prepare for our professional careers.”
Honorable Mention awards in the Graduate category were presented to occupational therapy graduate students Jenna Gulics from Hopelawn, New Jersey, and Lisa Crivelli, Avon, Connecticut, respectively, who submitted their project, “A Historical Review on Early Intervention in Occupational Therapy,” completed in the course OT 501: Leadership in Occupational Therapy; and to Lindsey Hayde from Center Valley, a graduate student in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, who submitted her project, “Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist to Post-Anesthesia Care Unit Registered Nurse Handoff Using a Standardized Screen,” completed in the course NURS 790: DNP Scholarly Project II.
Prize winners were honored at a reception held in the spring semester in the Heritage Room of the Weinberg Memorial Library.
For more information about the Bonnie W. Oldham Library Research Prize, contact Donna Witek, information literacy coordinator at The University of Scranton’s Weinberg Memorial Library, at 570-941-4000 or donna.witek@scranton.edu.