2025 Excellence in Writing Award Ceremony

Best Paper in WRTG 1009/1010 | "The Arbitrariness of Blood"

Hi, I'm Ryan. I'm currently an undergrad at the University of Utah, majoring in linguistics and minoring in French. I hope to become a linguist someday, primarily involved in either the government or academia. My paper focuses on the cycle of generational trauma, as well as the persistent victim blaming that happens in response to cutting off blood-related abusers. This is especially prominent in immigrant families, where loyalty is prioritized above all else. Often times, if you inform someone that you don't speak to a family member, they don't ask about what the family member did to cause you to cut them off—instead, they ask how you could betray blood like that, unable to fathom rejecting your own kin. Through sharing my experiences, I wish to bring awareness to the fact that, sometimes, the most freeing decisions can also be the most painful ones.

Best Paper in WRTG 2010 | "The Taliban’s Impact on Afghan Women and the Case for International Intervention”

My name is Katy Cassat, and I am currently a Pre-Med student, majoring in biology at the University of Utah. 

My paper discusses the Taliban’s impact on Afghan women's rights, which limits their freedoms in all facets of life. It focuses mostly on limitations in education, employment, and healthcare. I believe that there is a way to protect the rights of women in Afghanistan in ways that align with their voices and that respect the religious and cultural values of the region. 

As a woman pursuing higher education in healthcare, I found the stories of these women incredibly impactful. I plan to graduate with a degree in Biology in 2028 and attend medical school soon after. I hope to have a career that positively impacts women’s health and access to medical care.

Mulimodal Composition | “Always On, Always Suffering: Black Pain in Black Mirror’s ‘Black Museum’”

Majoring in English and minoring in Writing and Rhetoric Studies, I’m a soon to be graduate with hopes of going into publishing. "Always on, Always Suffering" is my first paper turned video essay, and hopefully it won't be my last. I chose to write about "Black Museum" because I felt it had so much to say about storytelling and personal narratives and how these shape our reality and prejudices. 

Writing & Rhetoric Studies Research: Open Category | “Numbers Taught Me How to Write: An Autoethnographic Explorations of Dyscalculia, Higher Education, and Learning from and Letting Go of a Learning Disability”

Kate Rowan is a first-generation woman in agriculture who overcame learning disability barriers on her journey to find a passion in writing. She is graduating in May with a bachelors in UOnline Writing and Rhetoric Studies, which made her educational goals possible while living in rural Southwest Colorado. 

Kate composed this piece for self-reflective healing. Diagnosed at 35 with severe dyscalculia, her educational experiences were abruptly altered, and she found home in the Writing and Rhetoric department. 

She plans to work in conservation land access for women and minorities in her hometown of Cortez, Colorado, while also growing Four Corners Women in Ag, a group she founded to increase educational opportunities for women in rural spaces. Kate feels that her educational growth isn’t complete and looks forward to exploring more on the horizon. 

Best Graduate Student Seminar Paper | "Online Grief Entextualization: Exploring Digital Narratives of the Loss of Parents”

DWRS PhD Student

Excellence in Writing Center Tutoring Award

I'll be graduating this Spring with my Honors Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Minor in Sociology and Honors Integrated Minor in Health. After graduation, I hope to pursue my PhD in Clinical Psychology and continue contributing to research on childhood adversity and early stress-exposure among youths from marginalized and underserved backgrounds. I feel so grateful for my position at the Writing Center and am incredibly appreciative of all the wonderful people I've met throughout my time as a tutor. Thank you for making this such a memorable and positive experience!

Outstanding Instructor Award

Graduate Teaching Assistant | Spanish MA | Department of World Languages and Culture

Outstanding Instructor Award

DWRS Assistant Professor

Department Chair Award

Director of the University Writing Center & Graduate Writing Center