Departmental Awards and Prizes

Each year we award several different prizes to our students at the departmental Convocation ceremony.  Instructions on how to apply for these awards are available on the Scholarships and Financial Support page.

Best Paper and Outstanding Student Awards

Slavic Excellence Prizes

These prizes are awarded for the best paper written by an undergraduate and graduate student. They include a prize of $250, to be applied to tuition. 

Past Undergraduate Recipients:

        • Emma Peterson (2023) - "Trigger Warnings and Content Notifications: Lolita in the Classroom"
        • Samuel Abraham (2023) - "The Woman Question & Tolstoy’s Vengeance"
        • Somer Mayer (2022) - "Analysis of Vladimir Mayakovksy: A Tragedy"
        • Tate Linden (2022) - "Disgust, Shame, and Revolutionary Self-Love in American Transgender Individuals"
        • Natalia Owen (2021) - "Manuscripts Don’t Burn"
        • Wendi Zhou (2020) - "Rolling Back the Wheel of History: Nostalgia in Contemporary American Political Communication"
        • Henry Woods (2019)  - "Alyosha, Hero of Onions"
        • Irene Cruz Talavera (2018) - "Mother-daughter relationships in Ulysses and Lolita"
        • Gautham Velchuru (2017) - "Terms of Address in Spanish"
        • Roxanne Garcia (2017) - "Technology as an Underworld"
        • Peter Berge (2016) - "Womanish Fiddle-Faddle: Vasilisa the Priest’s Daughter As a Model for Gender Discussion in Folklore"
        • Allegra Bozorth (2016) - "After the Ball"
        • Kathryn Draney (2015) - "The Division of Raskolnikov’s Personalities"
        • Shannon Foss (2014) - "The Contextual Dimension of Bilingual Emotion Expression"
        • Alison Knight (2013)

Past Graduate Recipients:

        • Svetlana Ostroverkhova (2022) - "Ordnung and poryadok – do Russians and Germans have much in common?"
        • Biljana Konatar (2021) - "Elchin Safarli: When I Return, Be Home" (translation to English)
        • Wilhelm R. Zuercher (2017) - "Technology Loanwords and Assigned Gender in Russian and Slovene"
        • Veronica Muskheli (2016) - "Reflection, Erection, Resurrection: A Close Reading of The Chapter III Opening Paragraph in Gogol’s The Nose"
        • Brent Woo (2016) - "Speech and Song: Phonetics of Russian Art Song"
        • Veronica Muskheli (2013) - "A New Post-Soviet Village-Prose Tale: How Natalya Klucharyova’s A Year in Paradise Refers to Alexandr Solzhenitsyn's Matryona’s House"

Asante Prize

From 2007-2011 the prize for best undergraduate paper was funded by a one-time gift.

Past Recipients:

        • Kendra Ellis (2011) - "The Chekhovian Character Sketch"
        • Nate Bottman (2010) - "Ivan as Antichrist, Andrei as Pontius Pilate; Ivan as Antimoses, Andrei as Pharoah: Everyone's Sacred-Heartless in Olesha's Envy!"
        • Le Button (2010) - "For Art is Always Conflict! Collision and Control in the Montage Theory of Sergei Eisenstein"
        • Diana Aitova (2009) - "What’s in a Middle Name: On the Use of Patronymics in the Russian Language"
        • David Feldman (2008) - "Prometheus Ridiculed: Structure, Meaning and the Futurist Influence in Vladimir Mayakovsky"
        • Marina Mikhalchenko (2007)

Outstanding Undergraduate Student

This prize is awarded for academic excellence and service to the department.  It includes an award of $150, to be applied to tuition. 

Past Recipients:

        • Mariia Usatenko (2023)
        • Gretta Woodall & Jordan Zaugg (2022)
        • Melinda Whalen (2021)
        • Haley Taylor-Manning (2019)
        • Levi Sy (2018)
        • Jake Hansen (2017)
        • Alexis McClimans (2016)
        • Garrett Love (2015)
        • Alison Knight (2014)
        • Jeremy Coppock (2013)
        • Corey Krzan (2012)
        • Cyrus Rodgers (2011)
        • Leah Jirova (2010)
        • Diana Aitova (2009)
        • Bridget Swirski (2008)
        • Marina Mikhalchenko (2007)
        • Sarah Cunningham (2006)

Outstanding Graduate Student

This prize is awarded for academic excellence and service to the department.  It includes an award of $200, to be applied to tuition. 

Past Recipients:

        • Taylor Eftimov (2023)
        • Stef Vukadinovich (2022)
        • Biljana Konatar (2021)
        • Nathan Marks (2019)
        • Alex King (2018)
        • Nathan Marks (2017)
        • Alison Knight (2016)
        • Cyrus Rodgers (2015)
        • Bonnie Layne (2014)
        • Veronica Muskheli (2013)
        • Matt Boyd (2012)
        • Tyson Sadleir (2011)
        • Alsu Shakirova (2010)
        • Alsu Shakirova (2009)
        • Lubov Penkova (2008)

Best Language Student Awards

For many years, the Polish Home Ladies Auxiliary has awarded a prize to the Best Polish Language Student.  In 2013 the other Slavic communities also established prizes for the best students in the respective languages.

Best Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian Language Student

    • Kevin Spivey (2013)

Best Czech Language Student

1st-year:

      • Mikhail Balasyuk (2013)

2nd-year:

      • Deanne Greaves (2013)

3rd-year:

      • Jeremy Coppock (2013)

4th-year:

      • Clara Summers (2013)

Jaroslava Soldanova Award for Czech Studies

    • Clara Summers (2014)

Best Polish Language Student

    • Robert Heilemann (2023)
    • Sofiia Fedzhora (2022)
    • Lani Phillips (2021, 2020)
    • Nathan Marks & Alison Knight (2017)
    • Alexander King & Alison Knight (2016)
    • Anatoliy Klots, Brian Collins, & James Pabiniak (2014)
    • Anatoliy Klots & Bonnie Layne (2013)
    • Morgan McAllister (2012)
    • Johanna Gawronski (2011)
    • Dylan Lionberger (2010)
    • Olga Galczuk (2009)
    • Travis Currit (2008)
    • Timothy Wellman (2007)
    • Nicole Niesulowski (2006)
    • Kuei'yu Chen (2005)
    • Kamil Palubicki (2004)
    • Louie Gahng (2003)
    • Dan Newton & Jessica Blackford (2002)
    • Amanda Lloyd (2001)
    • B. Amarilis Lugo de Fabritz (2000)
    • Nathan Krage (1999)
    • Shosh Westen (1997)
    • Geoffrey Schwartz (1996)
    • Timothy Riley (1994)
    • David Graber (1991)
    • Anna George (1990)
    • Mark Golubiec (1989)
    • Irina Kominz (1988)
    • Michael Moss (1987)

Polish Studies Endowment Committee Certificate of Recognition

    • Mercedes Shereda (2019)

Best Russian Language Student

1st-year:

      • Julia Dupin (2023)
      • Maximilian Scot Zuber (2022)
      • Melinda Whalen (2021)
      • Raj Kumar (2020)
      • Joshua Swynenburg (2019)
      • Heather Frizzell (2018)
      • Levi Sy (2017)
      • Ana-Maria Georgieva (2016)
      • Jake Hansen (2015)
      • Angelina McMillan-Major (2014)
      • Margaret Babayan (2013)

2nd-year:

      • Maximilian Scot Zuber (2023)
      • Daniel Timoshenko (2022)
      • Gretta Woodall (2021)
      • Joshua Swynenburg (2020)
      • Reilly Bellen (2019)
      • Levi Sy (2018)
      • Huanchong (Aleksey) Wang (2017)
      • Jake Hansen (2016)
      • Jiri Ferenc (2015)
      • Alison Knight (2014)
      • Brian Jacoby-McCurdy (2013)

3rd-year:

      • Jane Timmons (2023)
      • Raj Kumar (2022)
      • Joshua Swynenburg & Jordan Zaugg (2021)
      • Adam Fink (2020)
      • Levi Sy (2019)
      • Michelle Lie (2013)

4th-year:

      • Raj Kumar (2023)
      • Joshua Swynenburg (2022)
      • Alexa Ryer (2021)
      • Kate Peterson (2020)
      • Teyloure Ring (2013)

Best Slovene Language Student

    • Hannah Standley (2020)
    • Gregory Chapman (2014)
    • Veronica Muskheli (2013)

Oleg Fomin Scholarship

The purpose of this scholarship is to encourage and promote exploration and study of the languages, cultures, and histories of post-Soviet states.

Past Recipients:

        • Matthias Roberts (2021)

UW Polish Studies Scholarship

The UW Polish Studies Scholarship is awarded to UW students interested in studying in Poland. Scholarships are offered by the UW Polish Studies Endowment Committee, and are made possible through the generosity of supporters and friends of UW Polish Studies.

Past Recipients:

        • Jake Hansen (2017)
        • Nathan Marks and Anna Wahler (2016)
        • Karolina Lamb (2013)
        • Anna Grzankowski (2011)
        • Corey Krzan (2010)
        • Patricia Erickson (2009)
        • Travis Currit (2008)

Slovene Studies Summer Travel Stipend

The Slovene Studies Summer Travel Stipend is awarded to UW students interested in attending the summer Slovene Language/Culture Seminar in Ljubljana.

Past Recipients:

        • Hannah Standley (2019)

Vadim Pahn Scholarship

The Vadim Pahn Scholarship provides students with a $1,500 scholarship to study Russian during summer quarter in the department's intensive language program. The purpose of the scholarship is to encourage and promote knowledge of the Russian language and culture, and to increase understanding of Russia and its people.

Past Recipients:

        • Chutong Liu (2018)
        • Sarah Skerlec (2017)
        • Ana-Maria Georgieva (2016)
        • Anna Vara (2015)
        • Krystine Cabrera (2014)
        • Michelle Lie (2013)
        • Laura Kim (2012)
        • Jessica Redinger (2011)
        • Blerina Shehu (2010)
        • David Feldman (2009)
        • Kelli Hanson (2008)
        • Roxanne Gill (2007)
        • Cadence McAfee (2006)
        • Christy Lam (2005)
        • Emily Paget (2004)
        • Karl Fallstrom (2003)
        • William J. Harvey (2002)
        • Sarah Newby (2001)
        • Daniel Newton (2000)
        • Daniel Soler (1999)
        • Kelley Kilanski (1998)
        • Christina Szabo (1997)
        • Jaime Temairik (1996)
        • Clayton Leishman (1995)
        • Amy Canon (1994)
        • Corbett Beck (1993)
        • Thomas Campbell (1992)
        • Mary McArthur (1991)
        • Julie Hansen (1990)
        • Laura Jensen (1989)
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