2010-2011 Winners

This annual award, which carries a $500 prize, has been established with the generous support of Guido Ruggiero, Professor of History, in memory of his brother, David John Ruggiero.

WINNER OF THE DAVID JOHN RUGGIERO DISSERTATION AWARD

Cecile Houry (History)

Cecile HouryCecile Houry's dissertation, American Women and the Modern Summer Olympic Games: A Story of Obstacles and Struggles for Participation and Equality, is a cogently argued account of female exclusion from and participation in the Olympic Games. In making the argument that the Olympic Games "empower women as they simultaneously reinforce their position of subordination" in a male-dominated society, Houry taps into widely interdisciplinary methodologies: sports history, sociology of sport, psychology, gender studies, legal studies, and media studies. Houry's interviews with more than thirty female Olympic participants and her work in archives and special collections contribute to the empirical originality of her dissertation, provide evidence for her arguments and her critical analysis of sports history, and strengthen the dissertation's appeal to a wide readership of specialists and non-specialists alike.

HONORABLE MENTION

Kristin E. Borgwald (Philosophy)

Kristin E. BorgwaldKristin E. Borgwald's dissertation, Extending Care, is a well-conceived and clearly-written dissertation that makes a distinct contribution to the field of care ethics while at the same time speaking to more broadly interdisciplinary fields such as gender studies, sociology, psychology, and healthcare. Borgwald recasts the cognitive component of sentimentalist care philosophies to make the case for increased attention to the development of female epistemic personhood through an emphasis on self-respect, justice, and the awareness of principles underlying caregiving. Borgwald's dissertation represents an independent, critical analysis that is informed by contemporary developments in the field, while remaining analytically objective and offering significant insights.