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Department of Ethnic Studies

Ethnic Studies Awards

The Ethnic Studies department awards three honors: the Matt Meier Award for Student Research, the Cedric Busette Memorial Award, and the Ramón Chacón Community Service Award.

Black and white portrait of a person named Meier.

The Ethnic Studies program invites students to submit substantive academic work centered on issues of race/ethnicity for the annual Matt Meier award. Work in any discipline or department will be considered. A broad range of work will be accepted including (but not limited to) short or long essays, research papers and projects (including capstone research projects), short films, podcasts or other forms of audio/visual research. Winners will be awarded a $500.00 monetary prize along with a plaque recognizing their accomplishment both of which will be awarded at the Ethnic Studies Seniors' Reception in Spring Quarter.

 

Guidelines for submission:

  1. Submissions should be centrally focused on issues related to race/ethnicity (e.g. - studies of African American, Latina/o, Asian or Pacific Islander, Native/American Indian communities in the U.S., history of racialization, manifestations of critical race theory, immigration, transnationalism, intersectionality, women of color, racial and/or ethnic social movements, profiles of significant leaders or organizations within minority communities).
  2. Only one entry per student
  3. Essays and paper submissions should be no less than 5 pages in length and no longer than 35 pages and must include a reference list or bibliography to be considered.
  4. Projects and papers with multiple authors are allowed, albeit only one awarded will be conveyed.
  5. Each applicant must submit a copy of their work to the Ethnic Studies Department at ethn@scu.edu. 

Past Recipients:


The Cedric Busette Memorial Award was established in 1996 by the Ethnic Studies Program to honor the memory of Professor Cedric Busette for his outstanding commitment to the Ethnic Studies Program and for his dedication to the goals of Jesuit education. As a member of the Ethnic Studies Advisory Board, he worked tirelessly to improve the program and was an excellent mentor to faculty and students.

Past Recipients:

To honor the life and legacy of Dr. Ramón Chacón, Professor of Ethnic Studies and History, whose work within marginalized communities embodied the best of SCU’s commitment to social justice and service. Established in 2016, the award honors a graduating senior whose record of service upholds the tradition established by Dr. Chacón.

Past Recipients:

  • 2024 Karla Santos (Ethnic Studies & Women's and Gender Studies double major)
  • 2023 Zakiya Cooper (Ethnic Studies & Spanish Studies double major), Marielle Tellez-Castro (Ethnic Studies, Political Science & Spanish Studies triple major)
  • 2022 Angel Macias (Ethnic Studies & Political Science double major), Jacqueline Ramirez (Ethnic Studies major)
  • 2021 Chloe Gentile Montgomery (Ethnic Studies & Environmental Science double major), Erin Malcolm (Ethnic Studies major), Blanca Moncada (Ethnic Studies & Psychology double major)
  • 2020 Semi Williams (Political Science & Ethnic Studies double major)
  • 2019 Arelí Hernández (Ethnic Studies, Political Science, & Spanish triple major), Alejandra Sanchez (Sociology, Ethnic Studies, & Spanish triple major)
  • 2018 Alejandra Magaña Gamero (Ethnic Studies & Psychology double major)
  • 2017 Jennifer Gonzalez (Ethnic Studies & Political Science double major) and Isaac Nieblas (Ethnic Studies, Political Science & Spanish Studies double major)